


Can't fight this feeling

by a_dot_burr_ell



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Anon Prompt, F/F, High School AU, Tumblr Prompt, supercat
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-06
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-05-12 04:26:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 39,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5652394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_dot_burr_ell/pseuds/a_dot_burr_ell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cat Grant has never associated with Kara Danvers outside of the time it took to tell the girl to move out of her way. Now, thrown together for several hours a week, Cat has to deal with this geeky, over eager, nerd, who she actually finds very... cute? Well, this just won't do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this was an anon prompt in the vague area of SuperCat High School AU. Enjoy :)

Cat leaned forward with her elbow on her mother’s desk, head resting on her palm. She couldn't believe that her mother made her drive all the way down to her office after her classes just to yell at her. Not that she was surprised. What did she really expect from the woman who rented a lush, downtown, office because ‘being a writer doesn't mean I can sit at home all day, kitty’.

However, she hadn't expected this impromptu meeting to be about her grades, of all things. Cat sighed and brought her attention back to her mother’s ridiculous ranting and pacing.

“This is unacceptable, kitty.” Her mother drones on, swirling the alcohol in her glass. “You are a Grant—that comes with certain expectations.”

“Mother, please.” Cat sighed, rolling her eyes.

“I cannot let this stand. An ‘F’, no matter the class, must be rectified.” Her mother shook her head, her hand going to the glass of amber liquid sitting on her desk.

“I can just drop the class, mother. I can take it next year!” Cat argued, knowing this was heading nowhere good.

Her mother downed the rest of her scotch. “I've already spoken to your principal and it's too late for that. If you don't pull up that grade, you'll have to make up the course in summer school.”

“But I was due to start my internship at the Daily Planet over the summer!” Cat complained, jumping to her feet.

That internship was a chance for her to spend the summer in Metropolis. It would be a summer getting coffee and answering phones but it was an honest-to-goodness journalism internship and it would be an excellent addition for her application to college. Plus, it had the biggest perk of all—getting her away from her mother for the whole summer. There was no chance in hell that she was giving that up now that she’d been accepted.

“Then get your act together!” Her mother snapped, going to pour herself another drink. “I've arranged with your principal for you to get a tutor. You’ll meet with her after school three days a week until you get your grade up.”

Cat scowled. Three days a week would really cut into her extracurricular activities. “I don't think I can't fit anything else into my schedule, mother. I'm on the cheerleading squad and I’m on the school paper! Those things take time!”

"Quite frankly, kitty, that's something you’ll have to figure out.” Her mother handed her a slip of paper. “There’s the girl’s number. You can set up whatever three days you want but, as I'm paying for three days a week, you will fit it into your schedule. Now, I have to get back to work.”

Cat took the piece of paper her mother was offering, crumpling it in her hand and storming out of the office. She was beyond done with conversation, anyways.

The elevator dinged, signaling its arrival, and she stepped into the metal box. She had no idea how she was going to rearrange her schedule to fit in the tutoring. Monday and Wednesday she had cheerleading practice, with games on Fridays. Tuesday and Thursday, Cat stayed after school in the newspaper room. Both activities usually lasted until after four in the afternoon and then she barely had time to do her homework and eat before going to sleep and starting the whole thing over again.

Cat looked at the crumpled bit of paper. Maybe she could arrange to meet the tutor during her lunch. Or, if it was that whimpering Schott kid she was thinking of, she might be able to convince him to do all her homework for her. Cat straightened out the paper to see the name written on it.

An annoyed groan passed her lips. Of course, out of all the tutors available, her mother would have to pick the biggest goodie-goodie on the face of the planet. 

_Kara Danvers._


	2. Chapter 2

Locker doors slammed, echoing off the walls and making Kara flinch. Try as she might, there was something about the loud banging day in and day out that always caught her off guard. She normally dealt with the discomfort by quickly storing her bag and retreating to the library or her first period class, depending on the time, but the library was closed for renovations due to a pipe bursting and she had another task to complete today.

“Hey, Kara!” Winn jogged up beside her. “Have a good weekend?”  
  
Kara smiled. “I did, actually. Alex was home for the weekend and—”  
  
“That’s cool.” He nodded, sounding as if he was barely paying attention to what she was saying. “Listen, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out after school today.”   
  
“I wish I could, Winn, but I start my new tutoring job today!” Kara hugged her books to her chest. “That reminds me…I have to find Cat Grant and figure out when she wants to meet.”  
  
“C-Cat Grant?” Winn asked, looking shocked. “That’s who you’re gonna be tutoring?”  
  
“Yeah.” Kara closed her locker and headed down the hallway.  
  
“I didn’t know she needed tutoring,” Winn said, falling into step besides Kara.  
  
“I got the call over the weekend. I’m not even sure what class she needs help with yet.” Kara shrugged, adjusting her glasses.  
  
“Well, uh, I think this will be your chance to figure it out.” Winn pointed to a group of students, Cat Grant among them.  
  
“Right.” Kara took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself.  
  
She knew everyone in the group, had seen them roaming the school since she started as a freshman, but it was the first time she’d spoken to anyone outside of a classroom. Senior Perry White, star of the basketball team, flanked by another senior, Maggie Sawyer were in an animated conversation with James Olsen, the photographer for the school paper. Kara tried not to stare too long since James had his arm thrown casually over his girlfriend, Lucy Lane; that was a crush Kara was still trying to get over. George Taylor was highlighting something in his history book and Cat Grant was smirking at something on her phone.  
  
Noticing them standing so close, Perry White stopped talking and glared at them. “Do you nerds need something?”  
  
Five pairs of eyes turned in their direction and Winn stiffened. “Bye, Kara!”  
  
Kara rolled her eyes as Winn retreated down the hallway. Figuring there was no time like the present, she stepped forward. “Um, excuse me?”  
  
“Can we help you?” Maggie Sawyer asked, muttering under her breath a word that sounded distinctly like ‘loser’. There were a few scattered chuckles.  
  
“Uh, I was looking for Cat Grant?” Kara continued, trying to keep her voice from shaking as she looked directly at Cat.  
  
“Well, you found her,” Cat answered, lazily dropping her gaze back to her phone.  
  
Kara shifted uncomfortably. “Uh, I’m Kara Danvers. Your mother—”  
  
Kara’s statement was cut off as Cat abruptly grabbed her by the arm and tried to drag her away from the group. Kara stiffened up at first, but realizing that she should follow, allowed Cat to pull her away, even managing to stumble a bit as they rounded the corner.  
  
“Are you insane?” Cat hissed, glaring up at Kara with enough venom to make Kara cringe.  
  
“What?” She was a little disoriented by the sudden change in Cat’s attitude.  
  
“What makes you think you can come up to me and start blabbing about my personal life to everyone in the hallway?”   
  
Kara’s mouth fell open. “Oh! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to—”  
  
“Okay, enough.” Cat held up a hand to cut her off. “Just make sure not to do it again in the future. Whatever happens stays between you and me. Got it?”  
  
Kara nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She wasn’t sure if she should mention that she’d already told Winn but figured it would be best for her just to keep that fact to herself.  
  
Cat sighed. “Good. Now, I have practice after school so we’ll just have to meet in the library after that. Should be around four-thirty, alright?”  
  
“Um, actually,”   Kara started, adjusting her glasses. “The library’s still closed.”

“Still?” Cat scowled. Cat was silent for a moment before sighing and retrieving a pen and paper from her notebook. “Fine. Since it seems we have no choice, here’s my address. By there at five and we’ll get this over with for today.”  
  
Kara took the paper, quickly scanning the address written across the top. “O-okay.”  
  
“Great. See you later, Kiera.” Cat said apathetically as the bell rang. She didn’t wait for an answer, running off to her first class and leaving Kara in the hallway.  
  
“It’s Kara,” Kara mumbled, following sullenly.

* * *

Cat relaxed under the steady spray of her shower. Practice had been tiring but she always felt better after a hot shower soothed her aching muscles. Her mother was gone, writing at the office again, meaning that she had the house to herself. On a usual day, Cat would throw something together for dinner and retreat to her room to finish her homework or whatever story she was working on at the time before going to bed and starting all over again. Today, however, wasn’t a usual day and Cat was forced to cut her shower short because her mother had decided to act like a parent and ruin her junior year.

As if responding to her thoughts, Cat’s phone’s alarm went off, signaling that her time was up. Cat shut off the water and stepped out of the shower, wrapping herself in a fluffy towel. Her bathroom was full of steam so she left the door open as she entered her bedroom, letting the room air out.

Her bathroom was attached to her room, a fact that Cat was grateful for. Out of the many rooms in her mother’s house, Cat’s bedroom was her favorite. The bedroom was fairly expansive—if there had been an attached kitchen, it could easily be mistaken for a studio apartment. It was something she knew that she was going to look for when she was ready to leave; functionality without waste, something her mother never understood. 

She dressed quickly, throwing on a camisole and yoga pants, her usual bedtime attire, but accented it with a loose fitting sweater. She quickly dried her hair, knowing she was running out of time considering that the Danvers girl was probably extremely punctual. Sure enough, when Cat set down her blow dryer, she could hear the doorbell ring. She descended the stairs lazily, entering the foyer and unlocking the door with unhurried movements. After all, it wasn't as if this was someone important. 

The door swung open and Kara Danvers was standing on her doorstep, wearing the same pink dress and cardigan outfit Cat had seen her in at school that morning, a backpack slung over one shoulder. “Uh, hi! Am I late?”

“Five p.m. on the dot,” Cat said, retrieving her phone from her sweater and checking the time. She moved back to let the girl pass and mumbled under her breath. “How predictable…”

A look of confusion crossed Kara’s face as she crossed the threshold, carefully moving out of the way while Cat shut the door behind her. “Uh, your house is really nice. You don't really see many places like this out here.”

Cat shrugged, making her way towards the kitchen. “My mother liked the idea of being a secluded author but said she refused to live in a mouse hole. She had this built a few years ago.”

“There's definitely something charming about the small town life,” Kara added, smiling slightly like she was enjoying a private joke. 

It irked her for some reason. “This house is too big; too many empty rooms and nothing to fill them with. And yet you walk out the door and you're practically suffocated by this town,” Cat snapped, walking quicker. It felt like it took forever to reach her own damn kitchen. “I'm getting out of here the first chance I get.”

“That's... understandable,” Kara said as they reached the kitchen, putting her bag down on the table. “Where would you go?”

“Metropolis. Or National City. Somewhere I can get a place in the center of everything.”

Kara smiled brightly. “That's definitely sounds better.”

Cat watched as Kara pulled books out of her backpack. She didn't know why she had said all that; those were usually thoughts she kept to herself. “Whatever. Let's just get this over with.”

“Right.” Kara sat down and opened a notebook. “Why don’t we start with whatever you’ve been having trouble with and go from there?”

Cat sighed, sitting at the table. “How much time do you have?”

They spent the rest of the time going over Cat’s previous homework and test scores, carefully identifying what items she’d had trouble with. By the end of the hour, they’d finished her current homework assignment and come up with a detailed plan to get Cat prepared before mid-terms. Cat had to admit that she was impressed with the level of detail and professionalism Kara had shown.

“Have you done this before?” Cat asked curiously, twirling her pen in her had. 

“Hmm?” Kara hummed absently, her head bent over the book she was highlighting. 

“Tutoring. Have you done it before?” Cat asked again, watching as Kara met her gaze. There was something calming about the other girl’s face. 

“Uh, no,” Kara admitted with small shake of her head. “I just TA for the class in my free period.”

Cat nodded her head. That would explain why she was so good at it. “I see.”

“I, uh, TA for your class, actually,” Kara added, looking back down. 

“My class? Really?” Cat asked, disbelievingly. “Are you sure?”

Kara nodded. “Since the first week in September.” 

“You’d think I’d remember that.” Cat frowned. She tried to think back to her time in her calculus class but was coming up blank. 

“It’s fine. No one’s really supposed to pay attention to the TA anyways,” Kara assured her, smiling lightly. A quiet vibrating called her attention to her phone, flipping the device over to check the time. “It’s getting pretty late. I better get home.”

“Of course.” Cat stood up and stretching her arms over her head.

“Good job today, by the way.” Kara quickly packed up her backpack and headed for the door.

Cat bristled at the unnecessary praise. “I completed an assignment, it's not like I saved a baby.”

“No, I just meant—” Kara started, flustered by Cat’s outburst. 

“Forget it.” Cat pulled the door open. “Same time on Wednesday?”

Kara looked mildly confused but she managed a small smile. “Of course. See you then.”

Cat watched as Kara disappeared down her driveway and turned towards the main road. There was something about that girl that put Cat on edge but she wasn't entirely sure if that was a bad thing. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm… so one thing I didn’t take into account when I started this was the dates throughout the school year. For purposes of this fic, we are going to say that school began the second week in August and that first quarter progress reports came out the second week in September. This is the grade marker Cat’s mother was going with making it mid-September.

Cat walked into her math class, letting her eyes comb the tiny classroom. Sure enough, Kara was sitting at the teacher assistant’s desk in the back of the classroom, her nose buried in some book. Cat felt her lips tip upwards without meaning to. 

It had been seven days since they’d begun the unnecessary tutoring sessions but, after Kara had revealed her position as teacher’s assistant in the class, Cat couldn’t help checking for the other girl every time she set foot in the classroom. Plus, it wasn’t only the math class that Cat had noticed the girl. Imagine her surprise when she’d realized that Kara had been sitting in the back of her math class for weeks as well as her English class,  _ and  _ her History class. 

“Everybody take your seats!” Their teacher shouted, bustling into the room and setting down a stack of papers. “Today we are having a pop quiz!”

Everyone groaned, Cat included. She hung her bag from the back of her chair, keeping only a pencil. She was about to drop down into her desk when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Kara had closed her book and was giving Cat a small smile, followed by mouthing ‘good luck’. 

Cat rolled her eyes, unable to fight giving the girl a small smile in return. She could see Kara’s smile brighten at her response, her shoulders shaking a bit with laughter. Cat took her seat and waited for the rest of the class to do the same, listening as their teacher rattled off the rules for the test. It was the same spiel before every test, warning everyone to keep their eyes on their own paper and to turn the test over when they were done. Cat ignored the teacher’s grating voice and began her test among the moment her paper had been passed back. 

Several minutes passed with only the flurry pencil against paper to fill the silence. She recognized several of the formulas that they were being questioned on from her previous study session with Kara, bringing Cat’s mind back to her tutor. 

They’d worked on more of what Kara referred to as ‘Cat’s problem areas’ on the previous session, with Kara remarking that she’d made good improvements. She had to admit, the problems on the quiz did seem easier than they had only a week ago. 

When she’d finished her test, Cat quietly turned her paper over, waiting for the remaining students to finish. Time was called a few minutes after that and Cat watched as Kara walked between the rows, collecting all the tests. 

“How’d you do?” Kara whispered as she collected Cat's paper.

“I guess you’ll find out before I will.” Cat shrugged. 

Kara nodded, lingering at Cat’s desk. “I need to talk to you before the end of class.”

Cat didn’t answer but nodded to let the girl know she’d heard. It was an unspoken rule between the two of them that they keep interacts during school to a minimum, a necessity since no one knew Cat was being tutored. The rest of the class passed quickly, taking down notes as the teacher droned on about the new lesson. When the bell rang, nearly everybody sighed in relief, rushing to pack away their belongings. 

Cat lingered at her desk, letting everyone file out ahead of her. She didn’t need to wait long until Kara appeared at her shoulder, cradling her books to her chest. Cat immediately noticed she looked nervous, and it made Cat frown automatically. 

“What’s going on?” Cat asked, hands on her hips. 

“I was wondering if we could reschedule for today.” Kara wasn't making eye contact with her. 

“Why?” Cat demanded, not expecting that Kara would be cancelling their study session. 

Kara fidgeted nervously. “I have a family thing tonight. My sister came into town late last night and she wanted us all to go out today so—”

“Yeah, yeah. I get it.” Cat cut her off, not wanting to hear the reason. “So, what? Tomorrow?”

Kara’s head bobbed up and down in agreement. “I can make that work. Same time?”

“I suppose so.” Cat sighed, grabbing her bag “Now if you’ll excuse me?”

“Right, of course.” Kara said, adjusting her glasses. “See you tomorrow!”

Cat didn’t respond, simply waving her hand in farewell as she left the classroom. She was agitated by the change in plans; this meant that she’d have to sacrifice another weeknight. After all, it was inconvenient, impolite, and just downright rude for Kara to change their plans. Her bad mood lasted through the rest of the day, lingering until she had worked out her anger during practice. 

She was packing up in the locker room when Maggie came up behind her. “Hey, we’re all going to grab a bite to eat. Want to come?”

“Sure. What time?” Cat asked, zipping up her bag. 

“About an hour,” Maggie said, heading towards the locker room door. “I’ll text you when we know where we’re meeting.”

“Great.” Cat said, shouldering her bag and following her friend to the door. At least she wouldn’t have to spend her evening in an empty house. 

An hour later and Cat was showered, changed, and dressed to kill. Sure, their town didn't have a very vibrant nightlife, but there was still no reason not to plan for the best. Her friends’ usual idea of a weekday night out was pretty casual, dinner at the local dinner or a movie at the strip mall; anything more elaborate meant driving into the next city and was usually reserved for the weekends. 

Today seemed to be no different and Cat met everyone outside of the diner; coincidentally, it was the nicest restaurant in town. It didn't take long for them to be seated at a round booth that could fit six, everyone laughing and chatting amicably. Their food arrived and Cat busied herself with dipping her fries into some ketchup when several of the wait staff gathered around another table and began clapping and singing obnoxiously. 

“Happy, happy, birthday, from all of us to you! We wish it was our birthday, so we could party too!” The staff finished their song, clapping and cheering, earning a round of applause from many of the restaurant’s elderly patrons. 

Cat resisted the urge to roll her eyes. This was the reason she was desperate to leave for Metropolis; because then she wouldn't have to be subjected to this tedium anymore. The crowd around the birthday table dispersed and Cat felt her heart leap into her throat when she saw who was sitting at the table. 

It was Kara, seated at small table with a girl Cat recognized as someone who graduated from their school last year, and a middle aged woman. Kara was burying her face in her hands as the staff dispersed. The girl on Kara’s right pulled her into a one armed hug while the woman clapped politely. 

Kara’s words from earlier came rushing back to her. 

_ “I have a family thing tonight. My sister came into town late last night and she wanted us all to go out today” _

There was a piece of pie with a candle sitting in front of her and Cat realized with an uncomfortable twist of her stomach that the ‘family thing’ Kara had referred to was her own birthday. The two women with her were obviously Kara’s mother and sister.There wasn't a hint of to them and Cat found herself wondering where her father was. 

She watched as Kara gently blew out the candle while her sister grabbed each of them a fork. The two girls were laughing, happily taking turns in digging their utensils into the small dessert. After a moment, Kara excused herself from the table, heading for the diner’s small bathroom. 

Without thinking about what she was doing, Cat slid out the side of the booth. “I’ll be right back.” 

“Cat? Where are you going?” She heard someone ask. 

“I’ll be right back,” Cat repeated, exiting the booth and heading in the same direction she’d seen Kara disappear. 

She made her way to the restroom, using her shoulder to press open the swinging door. Kara was standing at the sink, diligently washing her hands. Swallowing against the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat, Cat stepped further into the restroom. Luckily, they seemed to be alone. 

“So, this is the mysterious family event you mentioned?” Cat asked, trying to catch the other girl's attention. 

Kara startled a bit, looking up in surprise. “Cat! What are you doing here?”

“I'm here with a few friends.” Cat crossed her arms over her chest as Kara dried her hands. “Don't change the subject. Why didn't you just tell me it was your birthday?

Kara looked mildly guilty as she tossed away the used paper towels. “It's not a day I really wanted to celebrate. It's just that Alex showed up last night and wouldn't take no for an answer.”

“Why would you want to ignore it?” Cat asked incredulously. When it was her birthday, she never let anyone forget it. 

“There really hasn't been much to celebrate ever since my foster dad passed away last year.” Kara glanced down, her hands coming up to adjust her glasses.  Cat noticed Kara played with her glasses when she was nervous. 

She was about to tell Kara ‘Happy birthday’ and leave it at that when Kara’s words began to process. “Foster dad?” 

“Yeah. Jeremiah and Eliza. They adopted me after my parents died a few years ago.” Kara wrapped her arms around her middle. 

Cat was stunned. In their few encounters, the main impression Cat had was that Kara, while quiet and shy, had an unwavering sunny personality. She’d seen it in the excited smiles the girl gave her when Cat correctly answered one of her equations, or the way she laughed with her whole body when Cat made a quip about their math teacher’s wardrobe choices. Cat observed Kara now, looking more uncomfortable than Cat had seen her since their first tutoring session. She felt an inexplicable need to comfort the girl warring with her desire to know more. 

“How long have you—” Cat was cut off when the door behind her swung open.

Kara’s sister poked her head into the room. “There you are. Mom was getting worried. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, Alex,” Kara said. “I was just finishing up. Give me a minute?”

“Sure.” Alex nodded, giving Cat a critical look before leaving the room.

“Your sister?” Cat asked, watching the door swing closed. 

“Foster sister, yeah.” Kara clarified, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “But she's been really great since I came to live with them. It was hard, trying to fit in.”

Cat couldn't imagine what it must have been like for either of them. A single child suddenly given the responsibility of a younger sibling, let alone someone so soon after a tragedy. Add that to the fact that Kara had to deal with  trying to fit into a new family after losing everything. It left Cat with even more questions. 

“I better get back out there.” Kara pointed to the door. 

“Of course.” Cat said, stepping to the side. She watched as Kara pulled open the door. “Hey?”

Kara paused, one hand on the door. “Yeah?”

“Happy birthday.” 

A blush crept up Kara’s cheeks and her face broke out into a soft smile. “Thanks.” With that statement, Kara exited the bathroom, leaving Cat alone feeling strangely light. 


	4. Chapter 4

Kara watched as Alex stood in front of the TV, a disc held carefully between her fingers. Her sister was supposed to be putting on a movie but she was busy looking at something on her phone. Grabbing a handful of popcorn, Kara threw the snack at her. “Down in front!”

Alex scowled but stowed her phone and put the disc in the player. “You know, just because it’s your birthday, it doesn’t mean you can get away with anything.” Alex threw herself down on the couch besides Kara with the remote in hand. 

Kara laughed. “Yes, it does.”

“Spoiled,” Alex said in a fake whisper, starting to switch the input.

“Oh! Wait!” Kara exclaimed, grabbing the remote from her sister. 

“Really?” Alex protested, rolling her eyes. “Not this again.”

“Shh!” Kara warned, sitting forward and giving her attention to the TV.

“ _ Another crisis was averted when Metropolis’ very own caped hero stopped an oil tanker from exploding off the coast, saving three lives and the hundreds of man hours it would have taken to clean up the bay _ .” The newscaster voiced over pictures of Superman saving the ship. The screen switched to the aging news caster. “ _ And now, sports! _ ”

“Alright…movie time.” Alex snatched back the remote and switching the TV input. 

Kara knew that Alex got annoyed with the obsessive way she watched any coverage of her cousin that she could get her hands on. She couldn’t help it, it was reassuring to know that he was out there, succeeding even when she’d failed.

Sighing, she leaned back against the couch. “Okay, play the movie.”

In the distance, Kara heard the phone ring and Eliza’s footsteps as she went to answer it. She was about to turn her attention back to their movie when her foster mother called for her. “Kara, phone’s for you!”

Eliza’s voice was barely raised but Kara heard it as clearly as if she was standing right next to her; it was one of the perks of being born off planet. As was the speed she used to get from the couch downstairs up to Eliza’s study. There was only one person in the universe—who wasn't already in the house—that would call her on this day. 

Eliza blinked, adjusting to seeing Kara so quickly. Her foster mother smiled indulgently as she handed over the phone. “Maybe try walking next time, hmm?”

“Right. Sorry, Eliza.” Kara said, taking the phone. She stepped a few steps away from her foster mother and put the phone to her ear. “Hello.”

“Happy birthday, Kara.” Her cousin’s voice filtered through the speaker putting an immediate smile on Kara’s face. 

“Thanks, Clark,” Kara said, heading to her room. She left the door open as she entered, sitting down on the edge of a twin sized bed on the right side of the room. “I appreciate the call.”

It was the room she’d shared with Alex since Kal-El had dropped her off with the Danvers four years ago. Alex’s side of the room was filled with science fair ribbons, band posters, and various pictures of her friends that seemed like they were overflowing to the other side of the room. Kara had a taken more of a minimalist approach to decorating, with only a bookshelf filled with a hodgepodge of books, movies and music from various decades of human entertainment. 

“Of course I'd call.” Kara could almost picture the way his eyes would crinkle as he smiled. “Did you have a good day?”

“Yes. Alex came home from college so that we could all go to dinner and we were going to watch a movie.” Thinking about the movie reminded Kara of what she saw on the news. “Oh! I saw about that oil tanker. That was amazing!”

“It's all in a day's work,” he said, chuckling. “What about you? How's school?”

“School’s good,” Kara said, trying to think of something interesting to say. Suddenly, Cat’s face flashed through her mind. “I started tutoring last week.”

It had been a surprise for Kara to see Cat at the diner but she really shouldn't have been surprised; they lived in a small town, after all. Still, Kara couldn't help feeling embarrassed thinking about their conversation. Cat had called Kara out on her evasiveness from earlier in the day, eventually forcing the truth out of her. Or, at least, the only amount of truth Kara was able to share. 

She didn't often tell people the story the Danvers had crafted to protect her because most people usually reacted with looks of pity and condolences that really didn't scratch the surface of what she’d really lost. But Cat had surprised her. She hadn't fallen into the same patterns other people had, simply asking a couple of follow up questions and, most importantly, she'd  _ listened _ . 

Interpreting her silence as something else, Clark sighed. “I know things have been a little harder since Jeremiah passed. Are you doing alright?”

“Yeah, I'm fine.” Kara poked a finger in a small hole in her comforter. She'd have to fix that later. 

“Look, if you ever need anything you know you can call me, right?” 

“Yeah, I know. I promise I'll call you if I ever need anything.”

“Good. I’ll talk to you later, then. Have a good night, Kara.”

“You too,” Kara said, smiling again.

She hung up the phone and walked it back to Eliza’s study, placing it on the dock and heading back downstairs at a human pace. Upon seeing her return, Alex stopped her channel surfing and put on the movie. 

“Was it your cousin?” Alex asked as Kara sat back down. 

“Yup.” Kara grabbed the bowl of popcorn again. “Now, no more distractions. Press play!”

Alex rolled her eyes but did as instructed, starting the movie. Kara settled back into the couch, grabbing a throw blanket and spreading over her legs as the opening notes of the movie began. She glanced over at her sister when Alex grabbed a handful of popcorn. She'd missed this.


	5. Chapter 5

Cat was dying for some coffee. She'd slept badly the previous night, head full of random dreams in which Kara drifted in and out of. Cat chalked it up to their encounter from the previous night at the diner and tried to put it out of her head.  
  
That idea worked for about an hour until she finished her second period class and was standing with her friends in the hallway. She spotted Kara making her way through the hallway, nearly vibrating with happiness, and an excited smile on her face.  Cat smiled automatically in response, once again baffled that someone like Kara had been at the center of such tragedy. 

Kara seemed to zero in on Cat, changing course to make a beeline for her current location and making Cat realize that she headed right for her. Cat glanced back to her friends. Perry was raving about his latest athletic milestone while James and George listened intently; Maggie and Lucy were trading notes on their previous class.  
  
“I’ll be right back,” she called over her shoulder, not waiting for a response.  
  
“Hey! I have great news. I finished my test early in Mr. Bennett’s class and he let me grade the quizzes from the other day and, well, look!” Kara shoved a piece of paper in Cat’s face.  
  
Kara was moving the paper around too much for Cat to actually see what it was so she grabbed it out of Kara’s hand. “What is this?”  
  
“I wasn’t supposed to take this from the classroom but I got so excited that I had to come find you!” Cat realized the paper was the quiz she’d taken the previous day. There was a red letter ‘C’ at the top and the number seventy-two written beside it. “This is such a great improvement from your last test and I just couldn’t wait to show you!”  
  
“What are you doing, Cat!?” Maggie shouted. Cat looked back and saw her friends looking at her curiously.  
  
“So, what do you think?” Kara asked, drawing Cat’s attention back.  
  
Cat was about to respond, to Kara or her friends she wasn’t sure, when the two minute bell rang. Sighing, Cat tucked the quiz into her binder. “I have to go. See you later, okay?”  
  
“Oh,” Kara deflated immediately, her eyes looking beyond Cat’s shoulder. “Right, sorry.” Kara gave her a weak smile and left abruptly, heading towards the lockers. 

Cat stood watching her move through the crowd, all previous excitement absent, and wondered if she’d made a mistake. 

She didn’t have long to contemplate until Maggie stepped up next to her. “Why were you talking to her?”  
  
“I left a book in Bennett’s class yesterday.” Cat lied, brushing a stray tendril of hair behind her ear and rejoining the group. “She’s the TA so he asked her to give it to me.”  
  
Maggie seemed to accept that explanation and Cat as ready to end the conversation when she added. “I’m not surprised to see she was so excited, she was jumping up and down like a freakin puppy.”  
  
“That’s exactly what she looked like!” Perry snorted, causing the rest of them to roar with laughter.  
  
Cat forced herself to laugh along with them but it sounded off to her own ears. She couldn’t stop picturing the way Kara’s shoulders had dropped when Cat had rushed her away and it made her stomach twist unpleasantly. Heading to her French class, Cat saw Kara standing over by the lockers with her head down. For one brief moment, Cat took in the dejected look on the girl’s face and worried that she’d heard her friend’s remarks before pushing the thought away—there was no way she could have heard them from that far across the hallway.  
  
Entering her next class, Cat sat in her seat and pulled out the test Kara had snatched early for her. A small flicker of pride welled up as she reexamined the red seventy-two percent in the top corner, the highest grade she’d gotten in the class so far. It was then that she noticed extra writing on the bottom corner, obscured by her binder. Sliding it completely out, Cat saw what was written and felt a wave of something that felt an awful like guilt wash over her. 

In the same red marker that her score was written in, the words ‘Great Job’ where carefully scrawled at the bottom. Cat immediately recognized Kara’s handwriting and, when the teacher called the class to order, Cat promised herself that she would find a way to make it up to Kara later.

* * *

 

Kara smoothed a hand over her head as she stepped onto Cat’s driveway, making sure that her hair wasn’t too much of a mess. If there was one drawback about super speed, it was that it wreaked havoc on your hair. She wasn't supposed to use her powers, strictly speaking, and Eliza would probably have a heart attack if she found out, but Cat’s house was at the edge of town so Kara allowed herself to bend the rules. The original agreement had been that Kara tutor Cat three times a week in the school’s library, after all.

Eliza was stricter about Kara hiding her powers than Jeremiah had been, her foster father would simply roll his eyes when he’d caught Kara and Alex roasting marshmallows with her heat vision or giving super piggyback rides. Some nights, Kara was even tempted to fly home under the cover of darkness, but it had been too long and Kara was afraid to try without her big sister around to cheer her on. 

She stepped up to Cat’s front door but hesitated before knocking. She was a little nervous after what had happened earlier in the day. Cat had told her that they would talk later but, once they’d gotten back to class, Mr. Bennett had kept her too busy to talk and Cat left as soon as the bell rang. Not that Kara had been in a receptive mood after overhearing Cat’s friends in the hallway. Then again, she never would have heard those conversations if she’d been normal; it was unfair to hold it against them.

She didn’t have to wait long until Cat answered the door, still dressed in the outfit she’d worn at school; short boots, clingy blue jeans, and a shirt and jacket that Cat had accented with a long gold necklace. It was different than when Kara usually saw Cat, fresh out of the shower after her cheerleading practice, dressed in casual clothing. Kara hardly ever paid attention to what Cat wore at school--they were too busy avoiding each other except for the brief conversations in Cat’s calculus class.

“Hey,” Cat greeted.

“Hey.” 

“Well...” Cat motioned for her to enter and Kara heard the unspoken statement.  _ Don’t just stand there _ . 

“Right.” Kara stepped into the house. 

She heard the door close behind her and then Cat was leading her into the kitchen. Kara didn’t waste any time unpacking her bag, putting everything on the table. 

“Look, about earlier—” Cat started. 

“You really don’t need to say anything.” Kara shifted in her chair. “I get it.” 

Cat was quiet for a moment, observing her. It made her nervous.  “I just—” Cat sighed. “I don’t want you to think I didn’t appreciate what you were trying to do, because I did.”

Kara nodded. She didn’t know if she really believed it but it was nice to hear nonetheless.  Cat was still looking at her and Kara couldn’t help giving her a soft smile. It seemed to be what she was looking for because Cat smirked. 

“Good,” Cat said, taking her seat and watching Kara arrange their work. “But…”

“But?” Kara repeated, pausing in her organizing. Kara could practically see the wheels turning in her head and there was a playful sparkle in her eye. 

“Maybe we can take a break from the studying,” Cat suggested, one hand brushing a strand of her own hair away from her face. 

“We can’t do that!” Kara protested, feeling her glasses slide down her nose. She pushed them back up. “Aside from the fact that I’m getting paid to do this, you’re making so much progress. We shouldn’t derail that!”

Cat rolled her eyes. “Alright! Alright!”

Any further comment was cut off when Kara’s stomach growled loudly. Cat cocked an eyebrow at her and, embarrassed, Kara face turned red. “Sorry.”

“Are you hungry?”

“No, I’m fine.” Kara shook her head but another grumble undermined her statement. Kara silently cursed herself. She should have made time to eat before she came but she’d gotten caught up with homework after school. 

Cat crossed her arms over her chest and looked at her with disbelief written all over her face. “It doesn’t sound like you’re fine.”

“I may be a bit hungry,” Kara admitted. 

“Okay, how about this? We study, but we have a pizza while we do it?”  Now, that was a tempting offer. 

“Okay!”

Cat grinned. “Any particular toppings?”

“Anything’s good.” Alex used to tease her that she’d eat anything if it was on top of a slice of pizza. 

“Okay, I’ll be right back.” Cat pulled her phone from her pocket and stepped away from the table. 

Kara heard the phone dialing and Cat began to speak, ordering them a pepperoni pizza and garden salad. Kara could hear the person on the other line confirm her payment and address. “ _ Your order should arrive in thirty-five minutes _ .”

“Great,” Cat said, drifting back towards the kitchen and hanging up the phone. “It will be here in about a half an hour.”

“Should we go ahead and start on the homework in the meantime?” 

“Might as well.” Cat sighed heavily, sitting back down. 

Kara picked up her pencil. “Okay. Number one: Find the volume obtained by rotating the region…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine that as Kara became a teenager, she probably became interested about using her powers like someone would stretch a muscle. I know Alex began telling her to hide her powers after she was recruited but here she hasn't been recruited yet and she may be a bit more lax about Kara using her powers than Eliza would be.


	6. Chapter 6

When their pizza had arrived, Cat had taken a slice and insisted that Kara eat as much as she wanted. That was all the encouragement Kara needed as she ate her first slice. Quickly followed by her second, and third and fourth slice of pizza. Twenty-five minutes later, Cat was picking at what was left of her salad, her eyes wide as Kara reached for her sixth slice of pizza.

“Do you always eat like that or is this a special occasion?” Cat asked, her voice light. 

“Oh, sorry,” Kara said self-consciously. She forgot that anyone outside of the Danvers found her eating habits peculiar. “I'm done anyways.”

“No!” Cat rushed to assure her. “I was just surprised. It's impressive actually.”

“Not really,” Kara disagreed. “I tend not to eat too much while I'm at school.”  It was technically true—she usually waited until she returned home to eat a bigger meal. It was something her cousin had warned Eliza and Jeremiah of when they’d left her with them—Kryptonians had a higher metabolism than humans. 

“Well, I wasn't trying to stop you.” Cat gestured to the pizza box. “Please, eat the rest. I don't really do leftovers so it will just go to waste here.”

“Okay,” Kara relented, grabbing the slice. 

Cat cleared her throat. “So...how was the rest of your ‘family thing’?” She asked, reusing Kara words from the previous day. 

Kara paused, not expecting the question. She’d gotten the distinct impression that Cat was annoyed because Kara hadn’t told her it was her birthday but she’d never honestly expected it to come up in conversation again. Looking at the expectant way Cat was looking at her though, Kara knew that she wouldn't get away with trying to brush off the subject again. 

Cat raised one eyebrow, her expression making Kara squirm in her seat slightly. She didn’t know why Cat was so interested all of a sudden. Kara had simply assumed that the other girl wouldn’t care.  
  
“It was fine,” Kara said finally, her mind replaying the previous night. “I got a call from my cousin in Metropolis, and Alex and I watched a movie. She went back to college this morning, though—she said there was a test she couldn’t miss on Wednesday. I don’t think we’ll see her again until the holidays.” Kara frowned at the thought.  
  
“You have a cousin?” Cat asked, seeming surprised. “Older or younger?”  
  
“He’s…” Kara started, scrunching a paper napkin in her hand. She couldn’t truthfully state that he was older than her. “Well, he’s twenty-nine.”Kara didn’t know why she’d brought up her cousin, she almost never mentioned him to anyone except Alex. Kara chalked it up to having spoken to him the previous night. Besides, Cat was surprisingly easy to talk to. 

Looking up from the table, Kara saw Cat deep in thought, twirling a pen. “I never did say I was sorry.” 

Kara face morphed into an expression of confusion. Was Cat referring to what had happened earlier? “What about?” 

Seeing Kara’s look of confusion, Cat continued. “About your family, I mean. That must have been… difficult.”  
  
_Oh_ , that’s what she meant. Kara took a deep breath, breaking their eye contact. “It’s okay. I’m mean, it still hurts. But the Danvers have been great and I’m very thankful for them.”  
  
“It’s lucky you have them, then.”  
  
Kara could still feel the other girl’s eyes on her. Cat would never realize exactly how much it hurt, to lose not only her parents, but her friends, her home, her customs and traditions, all of it cut off without any hope of getting it back. But Kara could hear the raw sincerity in Cat’s statement despite the uncomfortable set of the girl’s shoulders; it was obvious that Cat wasn’t completely comfortable with this show of empathy. She didn’t know where this was coming from but Kara didn’t care, she appreciated the sentiment anyways.  
  
“Yeah.” Kara nodded, her voice tight.  
  
Cat seemed to sense that she couldn’t talk about this any longer because she mercifully turned her questions back to calculus. Kara took a deep breath, steadying herself before launching back into full tutoring mode, highlighting a section on Cat’s homework and explaining the steps to solve the equation. 

Kara‘s sensitive hearing alerted her when the garage door beginning to work, signaling someone’s arrival. She knew that she couldn’t speak up yet, human ears wouldn’t have heard it, and so Kara simply continued to keep her mind on the assignment.  
  
It wasn’t too long until Cat heard noise coming from the direction of the front door and she groaned. “My mother’s home.”  
  
Before Kara could answer, Cat’s mother sashayed into the kitchen, arms full of a stack of books. She didn’t seem to register that anyone was in the room because the woman walked right past them, setting her burdens down on the counter. 

“Mother!” Cat said loudly, an annoyed look on her face. 

Cat’s mother turned at the sound of her daughter's voice, catching sight of them for the first time. Her eyes narrowed when she glanced at her, setting Kara immediately on edge. Kara looked between Cat and her mother desperately waiting for one of them to talk. 

“You're home early,” Cat stated, standing and pressing her cheek to her mother’s in an air kiss. 

“Kitty.” She greeted Cat dryly before rounding on Kara. “Who are you?”

“Um, I’m Kara Danvers?” Kara answered nervously, looking between Cat and her mother. “I’ve been helping Cat with her math class—”

“Oh yes, that’s right!” Katherine waved a hand dismissively. “I guess I was just confused seeing as I don't pay you to sit around eating pizza and socializing with my daughter.”

Kara was stunned by the admonishment, her eyes cutting to the table to see the empty pizza box. She had to admit, it looked bad. “Oh, well, we w-were just—”

Cat scowled. “We were hungry. Plus, we already finished for the day.” Cat grabbed her homework and shoved it into her mother’s hands. 

Her mother scoffed. “One completed assignment does not prove that you’ve been working.”

Sensing that this was about to get ugly, Kara jumped to her feet. “I should actually get going. It's late.”

“I'll walk you out,” Cat said, her eyes never leaving her mother. 

Kara struggled not to use super speed to gather all of her things but she managed. Just barely. She escaped the kitchen, throwing a half hearted goodbye over her shoulder, vaguely aware that Cat was following her to the door. 

“I'm sorry about my mother,” Cat muttered, pulling open her front door. “She usually doesn't get home before nine p.m. unless she’s having an off writing day.”

Kara shook her head. “It's fine, really.”

“If we were doing this at the library, like we were supposed to, we wouldn't have to deal with this at all. When are they going to finish the renovations on that place?”

Kara chuckled. “With how broke the school always is? Probably not for a while.”

Cat got a faraway look in her eye. “Right…”

Kara didn't know why Cat had suddenly gone quiet so she hesitated by the door. “So… Tomorrow?”

Cat snapped out of it, focusing back on Kara. “Same time tomorrow. I'll make sure to pick up some chips or something.”

“You really don't have to—” 

“Snacks, tomorrow.” Cat interrupted, holding her hand up to stop Kara’s protests. “That's final.”

Kara smiled. “Okay. See you then.”

Cat smiled at her as she closed the door, leaving Kara alone to head down the driveway. It was nearly dark now, the sun fading behind a shroud of tall trees. Kara made sure her backpack was securely fasten to her back, glancing around to be sure that there was no one about, before running her usual path home.


	7. Chapter 7

Cat kept her promise to provide snacks for Kara the next time they met and, as September faded into October, Cat found that feeding Kara during their sessions turned into something of a habit. She didn’t know why, but there was something so amusing about the way that Kara thanked her profusely before completely demolishing whatever she had in front of her. Kara often complained that she should chip in for the food or else take a turn providing a snack for them both but Cat always brushed off her offers; it wasn’t like it cost her that much, anyways.  
  
“Miss Grant!” A sharp voice cut through her musings, making Cat jump slightly in her seat. Her history teacher, Mrs. Goodman, was looking at her pointedly, agitated that Cat was spacing out in her class. “Now, as I was saying, this project will be worth twenty-five percent of your grade, so make sure you and your partner take this seriously.”

Cat fought back a groan. She hated group projects. She never got stuck with anyone good and she always ended up doing more than her fair share despite her overloaded schedule. Her teacher briefly explained the project; each pair would create their own government and have to write a joint paper about their choice with examples throughout history. They’d be presenting their country to the class after the Thanksgiving break, a paltry six weeks from now.  
  
“Now, I know this task will be more difficult due to the library’s continued closure,” the teacher continued. “Which is why I’m giving you an extra week to complete the project.”  
  
Cat started tapping her pen against her desk. The library closure was something she was beginning to look into. Everyone heard how the library had been closed since the first month of school and that the school had promised to rush the construction to fix it. It was now officially five weeks overdue and causing problems for students and faculty alike. Through an office aide in the principal’s office, Cat was able to get a hold of the contractor’s estimates and was gleefully working the information into a scathing exposé about the administration neglecting necessary expenses in favor of redoing the school’s football field.  
  
Her senior editor had thought it was a brilliant idea, something that might land her the top position once she graduated at the end of the year. Of course, she couldn’t take all the credit for coming up with the idea. It had actually come to her after hearing Kara’s offhanded comments about the school’s budget and things kind of spiraled from there. Cat looked over to see the girl in question diligently taking notes and automatically smiled, there was just something so adorable about how serious Kara was taking this.  
  
“Alright, here are the teams! There will be no switching so don’t even think about. After I’m done you’ll have the rest of the class period to get started,” Mrs. Goodman warned. 

Cat was barely paying attention as name after name got rattled of, the only noise besides the teacher’s voice a random groan here or there. 

“Kara Danvers, Cat Grant!”  
  
Cat felt a thrill in her stomach as her name was called, looking automatically over to Kara to see the girl looking equally as surprised as Cat felt. Kara adjusted her glasses and looked back, giving Cat a nervous smile. It was probably good, Cat thought, returning the girl’s smile and watching the nervousness in Kara’s face disappear. They were used to working together now, after all.  
  
Once they had announced the rest of the teams, the teacher let the class rearrange themselves into their groups. Kara looked back again and Cat jerked her head towards the desk next to her. She watched as the taller girl gathered her books into her arms and carefully crossed the classroom to join her. 

“Uh, hey!” Kara said, dropping into the chair next to Cat. “This is a surprise.”

Cat shrugged. “I suppose it would have happened sooner or later.” 

“That's true.”

“Ladies, here’s your worksheet.” Their teacher placed a sheet of paper in front of Kara before moving on to the next team. 

Cat reached across the desk and grabbed the paper, quickly skimming its contents. “Seems pretty straight forward. Looks like besides choosing the type of government, we have to provide examples from history and discuss the pros and cons of our choice and to design a flag. Uh, this is going to be terrible.”

Kara shifted in her chair. “I don't know…designing the flag could be fun…”

Cat had many talents, writing, editing, dancing, even photography, but drawing was not included in that list. “I wonder if we can get away with some crappy photoshopped image.”

“Or, maybe, I could handle that part,” Kara suggested quietly. 

Cat cocked her head to one side. “You want to do it?”

“I draw, a bit, and paint. It's a hobby of mine.” Kara shrugged. “So it wouldn't be a problem for me to take care of that part.”

Cat leaned back in her chair, looking at Kara in surprise. “I wouldn't have had you pegged for the artistic type. I figured you’d be numbers and science all the way.” 

“I'm okay at those subjects but I wouldn't say they were my favorite. Plus, I've been into art since I arrived on—uh, with the Danvers.” Kara flipped a few pages in her notebook.

“Oh?” Cat said, surprised at the admission.

“Art therapy…well, it helped,” Kara said, her voice soft. “I just sort of stuck with it over the years.”

Kara grew quiet after that, almost as if she was surprised by how much she’d revealed. Cat didn't mind the silence, using it to examine her new partner. Kara had slid down in her chair so that, despite being taller than Cat was, she looked like she was shrinking in her seat. The girl’s head was lowered, her cheeks filled with color, and her glasses had a glare that was preventing Cat from seeing her eyes. 

It often struck Cat as odd that Kara always seemed to abruptly stop talking after talking about her childhood or family. Part of that could have been because it was too painful, but Cat had the feeling it was because Kara was stopping herself short of saying something she shouldn't. It was definitely intriguing but instead of probing, Cat chose to change the subject. 

“So we’ll leave any arts and crafts to you, then,” she said briskly, looking at the other requirements of their project. “So then the next order of business would be…a name.”

Kara looked up, a small smile growing on her face. “How about… Kandor?”

“What does that even mean?” Cat asked as Kara shrugged. Cat shook her head. “No. Okay, what about Grantland?”

“No!” Kara exclaimed, covering a chuckle with her hand. “That's terrible!”

Cat pretended to be offended. “Like your suggestion was any better?”

Kara giggled then and Cat couldn't stop the smile spreading over her face. Kara’s laughter was contagious. “Okay, what about… Themyscira?” Kara suggested innocently. 

“Okay, you're just making up words now.” Cat laughed, her eyes watering slightly. “The Cat Islands!”

“Corril!” Kara shot back, laughter overtaking her. 

“Catopia!” Cat nearly shouted, the hilarity of the situation getting to her. Kara roared with laughter until their teacher stormed over to them. 

“Ladies!” The teacher scolded, wagging a finger at them. “If you cannot keep yourselves together, I'll be forced to separate you!”

Kara quieted immediately, properly chastised, but Cat put on a serious expression. “Sorry, Mrs. Goodman, we’ll keep it down.”

Mrs. Goodman looked between the two of them, trying to assess their sincerity, but a minor scuffle in the corner of the room required her attention. Shooting them a warning look, she shuffled off to quell the argument and left them alone. 

Cat watched her go, sighing and turning back to Kara, who had gone back to trying to disappear into her seat. “Maybe it would be better to name our country later?” Cat suggested, smiling wryly. She watched as Kara smiled and nodded. “Good. Now what about our type of government? I'm leaning towards a monarchy.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Kara mumbled, rolling her eyes and sitting up a little straighter. “What about a democracy?”

“A totalitarian government?” Cat suggested playfully, not seriously considering it. 

Kara giggled again. “Maybe this will be harder than we thought,” she said, shaking her head. 

“I’m sure we’ll figure it out,” Cat said, relaxing back into her seat. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know there was a request for a little more action but we're still a couple of chapters out from there. I will try and move the story along a little more, though.


	8. Chapter 8

Around four-thirty in the afternoon Kara stepped out of her house, shoving her arms through a hoodie that she'd stolen from Alex’s side of the closet and pulled the hood up to cover her head. There was rain coming down outside, the downpour starting before she’d even left school. It had been unexpected, a fall storm that they usually didn’t see until early December, and many of the students had been unprepared, covering their heads with binders and backpacks as they ran to buses and cars.

Winn had shown mild concern when she told him that she was still planning on meeting with Cat later that day since he knew that Kara usually walked. She couldn’t exactly tell him the truth — that she was impervious to human illness and injury — so she made up some lame excuse about going home and getting a ride. Luckily, he’d been running late and easy accepted her answer before making a mad dash for the buses, his backpack covering his head.  Secretly, Kara was happy that their conversation had been cut short. He’d been less than enthused when she’d told him that Cat was her partner for the history project, complaining that Kara had been spending more time with Cat than with him lately. Kara decided to put Winn out of her mind in favor of her coming study session with Cat.

Kara was eager to continue the conversation they’d had earlier in the day regarding their history project. Despite getting yelled at by the teacher, it had probably been one of the most enjoyable classes Kara had experienced all year. They’d somehow kept it together after being chastised and by the end of the hour they were further along than anyone else. There were still a few details they had to sort out so they promised to settle the rest when they saw each other after school.

It was an odd thing to realize that after only a few short weeks she and Cat were falling into an odd sort of friendship. Winn had been her first friend, aside from Alex, and it had still taken him almost a whole year to warm up to her. Of course, she had met him her first year of attending school and she was still having trouble adjusting to the planet.

The weather turned out to be a good thing, there were less people out on the road and Kara was able to make her way to Cat’s house sooner than usual. Jogging up the driveway, she didn't hesitate to knock on the door, standing back and waiting for Cat to answer.

It didn't take long for Cat to respond, the sounds of footsteps deep in the giant house reaching Kara’s ears after only a moment. If she strained, she could hear Cat’s heartbeat as the other girl approached, elevated from running through the house, but Kara waited patiently until the door swung open to reveal Cat smiling at her in a pair of jeans and a wrapped in a warm looking sweater.

Kara found herself smiling brightly in response until she saw Cat’s smile drop from her face, her eyes narrowing dangerously as Cat took in Kara’s clothes. 

“Uh, something wrong?” Kara asked.

“You are soaking wet!” Cat shouted, reaching forward and grabbing her by the arm. Cat pulled her into the foyer and Kara stumbled over the door frame, nearly slipping on the tile.

Kara righted herself and looked down to where Cat’s hand was still gripping her wrist. “Uh…”

Cat followed Kara’s gaze, her eyes widening slightly when she realized that she was still gripping Kara’s wrist. Cat let her go and clicked her tongue disapprovingly. “Aren’t you freezing?”

Kara’s wrist was burning from where Cat’s skin had touched her, probably an indication that she’d been out in the rain too long. “I guess?” Kara said uncertainty, her brow furrowing.

Objectively, Kara knew she was cold, the wet fabric keeping her skin from its normal temperature, but the cold wasn't exactly bothering her. Looking down, she did notice that she was pretty soaked, her jeans and hoodie nearly a different color than when she’d put them; it was probably something humans would consider uncomfortable.

Wrapping her arms around her middle, Kara tried to sound convincing. “I mean, yeah, it's pretty cold out there.”

“Did you walk here?” Cat asked, leaning around Kara to close the front door.

“Well, yeah,” Kara admitted, pulling down the hood on her jacket and wincing when she realized she was dripping on the tile. “I don’t exactly have a car.”

“Kara, I live twenty minutes away by car. What do you do, start walking as soon as school lets out?” Cat asked, turning and walking down the hallway. Kara moved to follow her but Cat glanced over her shoulder and held up a hand to stop her. “Stay there for a minute!”

“Okay.” Kara waited patiently, standing awkwardly by herself in the foyer as water continued to pool around her. 

Cat returned carrying several towels, not hesitating to hand one to her. “Here.”

“Thanks,” Kara mumbled, taking the towel and carefully cleaning her glasses. She patted herself dry as Cat skirted around her using another towel on the floor to soak up the excess water.

“Hm… Take off your shoes,” Cat said as she watched Kara pat herself dry. She cocked her head to one side as she considered her. “And your socks too, by the look of it.”

Kara did as she was told, her shoes making an unpleasant squishing noise as she took them off, and made quick work of pulling off her socks, shoving them into her wet shoes and leaving them near the door. Cat watched her do all of this and sighed. “Okay, this isn’t working.”

“Um, where are you going?” Kara asked, watching as Cat headed for the stairs. “Should I just stay here?”

“ _ We’re _ going to get you out of those wet clothes,” Cat said pointedly, pausing on the stairs when she realized Kara wasn’t following her.

“That’s really not necessary. I’m sure I’ll be fine—” Kara started. In all the time she’d been coming over, Kara had never set foot anywhere other than the kitchen and she wasn’t sure how she felt about breaking that routine now.

“Kara, there is no way you are going anywhere near my mother’s Murcia dining room set in wet clothes.” Cat rolled her eyes, starting her climb again. “We’ll throw your clothes in the drier and have them ready by the time I take you home.”

“By the time you take me?” Kara asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

“There is no way I’m letting you walk home in the rain,” Cat told her as she finally started up the staircase. “Now, come on. We don’t have all day.”

Sighing, Kara followed as Cat led her through the second floor of the house and to her room. Throwing the door open wide, Cat went straight to a large wooden dresser and began rummaging through the drawers. Kara stepped inside cautiously, taking in the sight of a bedroom that was bigger than her living room and kitchen combined back home. For all the extra space, Cat had filled it well with large, ornate, pieces of furniture kept the room from looking barren while giving it the style of a well furnished apartment.

A desk with a personal computer sat in one corner with a plush chair in front of it, a cork board filled with article clippings sitting on the wall above. The bed was positioned in the center of the room, comforter mussed from the previous night, with no less than seven pillows piled near the head, all askew. The rest of the walls were bare but the many windows were accented with drapes and curtains in sharp colors that kept the bedroom from the stuffy museum feel the rest of the house had. The room screamed Cat — bright, fresh, and unafraid to be herself — and Kara was surprised at how much she liked it.

“This should do,” Cat said, putting a stop to Kara’s observations. Cat held a bundle in one hand that Kara reached for but Cat pulled it back, extending her hand. “Nuh-uh, take off your glasses first.”

“M-my glasses?” Kara stammered in surprise, eyes widening.

“We need to get your shirt and jacket off and keeping your glasses on will just get in the way. Come on,” Cat said impatiently.

“Uh, sure,” Kara said, hesitating for a moment before the expectant look on Cat’s face got the better of her and she pulling the frames from her face, folding them carefully and putting them into Cat’s waiting hand.

Cat made a little satisfied noise before put the glasses on the desk behind her. “Good. Now, my pants will probably be too short on you so try these.”

Kara took the clothes and saw that Cat had given her a pair of yoga pants and a worn, grey, t-shirt. “Camp Tripp Lake?” Kara asked, reading the logo on the t-shirt.

Cat shrugged. “I prefer to spend my summers doing something productive, but a couple of years ago I was desperate. Camp Tripp Lake got me out of the house.”

Kara nodded. That made sense with everything Cat had told her about her mother. “So that's why the internship with the Daily Planet, right?”

“Yes, because Tripp Lake was my fallback and I really didn't feel like counseling this summer,” Cat said, earning a light chuckle from Kara and smiling in return. Cat nodded towards a door on the other side of the room. “Bathroom’s that way.”

“Uh, right. Thanks,” Kara said, heading towards the bathroom and leaving Cat standing in the middle of the room.

* * *

 

The door clicked shut and Cat took a seat at her computer. She was surprised that Kara remembered her talking about the internship at the Daily Planet, she’d only mentioned it once in passing a couple of weeks ago. Cat only remembered that day because Kara had followed it up by telling Cat that her cousin worked at the Daily Planet.

The bathroom door opened and Cat spun in her chair to see Kara emerging from the bathroom, pulling her hair from the messy ponytail she’d worn under her hoodie and running her fingers through her hair until it fell in loose curls around her face. The yoga pants must have still been too short because Kara had rolled them up so that they ended at her knee and, combined with Cat’s old camp t-shirt, the other girl looked more relaxed than Cat had ever seen her.

Glancing up at Kara’s face, Cat noticed that, when Cat had taken Kara’s glasses, she had been too focused on getting the girl into dry clothes to really look at the difference. Now the absence of Kara’s glasses was noticeable, giving Cat an unobscured view of Kara's blue eyes, eyes that were looking back at Cat and filling with uncertainty.

“What?” Kara asked, her brows knitting together when she realized Cat was staring at her. “Do I have something on my face?”

Kara brought a hand up to her face but Cat shook her head. “Uh, no. Of course not. You just look really good without your glasses.” Kara’s eyes brightened at the compliment.

“Well, thank you,” Kara mumbled, ducking her head. “And thank you for the clothes, by the way. You didn't have to do this.”

“It's no problem,” Cat said, debating for a second before adding, “they look good on you, too.”

Kara blushed and Cat smirked. It was exceedingly easy for Cat to draw that reaction out of her but Cat had to admit that it was much better to watch Kara's face without those pesky glasses in the way. Kara tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear and glanced around the room.

“Uh, where did you put my glasses?” She asked, scanning the room.

Sighing, Cat retrieved the frames from her desk and handed them back to Kara. “Here and grab me your wet clothes, I want to throw them in the dryer.”

Kara headed back into the bathroom, returning with her wet clothes and her glasses back on her face. Cat tried to hide her disappointment as she took the clothes, telling Kara to have a seat while she went to the laundry room. She made quick work of putting the clothes into the dryer before making a stop in the kitchen to get the food she’d left warming on the stove.

Cat had decided earlier to make chicken quesadillas, figuring the warm meal would be good for the rainy day. She hadn't considered that when Kara arrived she’d be soaked to the bone after having walked all the way to the edge of town just for their study session. Of course, she’d never bothered to ask how Kara got to and from her house three times a week, never discussed their arrangements further than when they’d relocated from the under construction library to her home, or when Cat had insisted they move their Friday study session to Thursday because Cat had to be free Friday nights to cheer at football games.

The realization that Cat had dictated their meetings without so much as thought for the other girl filled her with a familiar pang of discomfort that she’d experienced several times since getting to know Kara. She tried to qualify it by telling herself that Kara had never mentioned the travel to be an inconvenience but she knew she wasn't being fair. Cat had seen how Kara was at school—keeping to herself as she moved to her classes throughout the day, or else stuck to the side of that infatuated little hobbit she ate lunch with in the cafeteria.

Cat sighed and moved the half dozen quesadillas onto a plate. In anyone else, Cat might have found Kara’s reticent behavior annoying, but, knowing what she did about her past, Cat could understand why Kara was so closed off. Cat grabbed Kara's backpack from the foyer and quickly ascended the stairs, pushing the door to her room open with her shoulder.

Kara was seated cross-legged on the edge of Cat’s bed when she entered, her head lifting and a smile spreading over her face when she saw Cat enter the room. Cat saw Kara’s eyes drift from the plate in her hand to her backpack in the other and confusion clouded her expression. “Why’d you bring that up here? Weren’t we going to study downstairs?”

“I thought we could study up here for a change,” Cat shrugged, dropping the backpack to the floor in front of the bed. “By the way, what do you keep in there, bricks?”

Kara leaned forward and grabbed the bag easily. “I didn’t think it was that heavy,” she said, pulling her phone from inside and checking for messages.

“Maybe you’re just stronger than I am,” Cat said, pulling her computer chair closer to the bed.

“Maybe,” Kara said sheepishly, adjusting her glasses.

“So, I hope you’re hungry because I made quesadillas,” Cat said, as Kara reached for the plate. Cat lifted the plate just out of Kara’s reach and was rewarded when the girl pouted adorably. “On one condition.”

Kara’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What condition?”

“We name our country Catopia and settle this silly dispute once and for all,” Cat said, raising the plate higher when Kara tried and failed to take it from her grasp.

Kara scowled and Cat failed to hold in a laugh. Kara rolled her eyes. “Deal.”

“Excellent,” Cat said, handing over the quesadillas. “Try and save me one this time, hm?”

“No promises,” Kara laughed, taking a bite.


	9. Chapter 9

“Can I look yet?” Cat asked, lounging on her bed with one hand supporting her head.  
  
“Almost,” Kara said, her head bent low over the paper she was sketching on.  
  
Kara's hair fell like a curtain between them, blocking her view and making Cat want nothing more than to get up from the bed to brush Kara’s hair over her shoulder. Instead, Cat rolled onto her stomach and pouted, scrolling through her phone to pass the time.  
  
They’d finished the mandatory studying a half hour ago and were now working on their history project. Or, they were trying to. Kara decided to start designing their flag and, since Cat was lacking in the artistic department, she’d let Kara have free reign of her desk as she pulled a set of colored pencils out of her backpack.  
  
“Okay, done,” Kara announced, leaning back in her chair.  
  
Cat scrambled off the bed and rushed to the desk, quickly grabbing the page. “Oh my god Kara, this is so… _good_.”  
  
It was simple, it was colorful, and Cat thought it was wonderful despite the self-depreciative shake of the head Kara gave her. Cat didn't comment further, running one finger delicately over the drawing. Kara hadn't used the whole page for the design as she'd expected, but instead had drawn a waving flag with such detail that she felt like it was really in motion. The logo Kara created was a boxy letter ‘C’ with horizontal stripes in a variety of colors and the word ‘Catopia’ embedded in one of the stripes.  
  
Kara blushed. “It's really nothing. I mean, it's just a flag.”  
  
“It's perfect.”  
  
“It's not even as detailed as some of the other things I've done,” Kara said, leaning back in the chair. 

That piqued Cat’s interest. “Do have any of your other work?”  
  
“I do, but…” Kara trailed off.  
  
“You don't want me to see?” Cat guessed, setting down the drawing and trying to quash the small feeling of rejection she was feeling.  
  
“It's not that,” Kara assured her, eyes wide as she reached out to grab Cat before she moved away. “It's just that I haven't shown anyone these drawings except Alex, so I'm nervous.”  
  
Cat nodded, eyes locked on to where Kara was grabbing her arm, her skin tingling. It took a second but Cat processed what the other girl was saying. Kara’s drawings were private, saved for only those closest to her. “Hey, I get it. But, if you ever wanted to show anyone, let me know.”  
  
Kara didn't answer but she released Cat’s wrist and moved to her backpack, pulling a notebook from her bag. Cat could see that it was a sketch book and her mouth dropped open when Kara nervously held it out to her. Cat took it gently, shooting Kara a look to make sure it was really okay and getting a nod in return. Cat moved to sit on the edge of the bed and slowly opened the sketch book, curiously growing.  
  
When Kara said she’d done pictures with way more detail, she hadn't been kidding. The first picture in the book was of a hillside filled with wildflowers that Cat recognized from off the highway. If she squinted, she could make out each individual flower and noticed that they were each unique. The second one was of a dog shaking water off itself in the rain, and Cat chuckled at the annoyed look on the dog's face.    
  
Cat flipped through page after page of sketches and found herself marveling at Kara’s talent. “These are amazing.”  
  
“Really?” Kara asked softly, coming and sitting down besides Cat on the bed so that she could see what Cat was seeing.  
  
Cat nodded, resuming her perusal. There were several of the girl Cat had seen at the diner, Kara’s sister, Alex—sitting on a couch with her head thrown back in laughter, sleeping in a small bed with her limbs stuck out at all angles, and a somber one of just her back as she stood in front of a gravestone—the expressions and color Kara had used made Cat wonder if she wasn't really looking at a photograph. Cat flipped to another page and paused at the portrait she saw.  
  
“Who is this?” Cat asked quietly, pointing to a picture of a woman with strong features and dark hair. Cat could take a guess of who since the woman shared similar features to Kara, but Cat wanted to see if her friend would tell her.  
  
Kara’s hands twitched. “That's my mom.”  
  
Cat looked up at the sound of Kara’s voice to meet her eyes. She sounded so small, like a little girl, but there was unmistakable note of pride in her words. “She's beautiful.”  
  
“Thank you,” Kara whispered.  
  
Cat felt her stomach flutter a bit and she cleared her throat. “So, uh, what is this one of?”  
  
She had turned the page and landed on a picture of a sprawling city the likes of which Cat had never seen. The buildings were designed in a way that seemed ethereal, sleek and reflective metals, sloped edges, with thousands of lights shining. In the background there was a beautiful mountain range, darkened from the setting of a red sun and orange sky.  
  
“Um, that's, uh—” Kara stammered, getting up from her spot and putting some distance between them. Cat looked at her questioningly, watching as Kara fidgeted and toyed with her glasses. “It's just a scene from this book I read once and it kind of just stuck with me.”  
  
“Well, whatever it is, it's beautiful,” Cat said, closing the book. She could tell that she had reached Kara’s limit for her snooping and didn't want to push it. “Do you only sketch?”  
  
“No, I do some painting when I have time.” Kara admitted. “And when I was little I did some sculpting but I haven't done that in years.”  
  
Cat considered that. “Is art something you’d want to do? You know, after high school?”  
  
Kara shrugged. “I don't know. Maybe? I haven't really thought that far.”  
  
“All you'd really need to do is put together a portfolio of your work. It wouldn't be hard to organize,” Cat said, her mind going into planning mode.  
  
“Well,” Kara started shyly. “I do have a bunch more at home. I could show you sometime—” She was cut off by a phone ringing. Kara jumped at the noise and went to her backpack, pulling out a phone. She glanced at the screen and shot Cat an apologetic look. “Sorry, uh. It's my foster mom.”  
  
“No, of course! Answer it,” Cat assured her, watching as Kara answered the phone.  
  
“Hey, Eliza.” Kara didn’t leave the room, choosing instead to walk towards the bathroom. Cat watched in amusement as Kara went through her entire conversation with only monosyllabic answers. “Okay. No, I’m fine. Yeah. Sounds good. Okay, see you then.” Kara tucked the phone into the pocket of Cat’s yoga pants. “Sorry, she just wanted to let me know that she was on her way home.”  
  
Cat glanced at the time and saw that it was after seven-thirty. “I guess it is getting pretty late to continue studying. We should get going.”  
  
Kara nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I just need to get my clothes.”

“Okay, grab your stuff and follow me,” Cat ordered, grabbing her purse and leaving the room.  
  
Cat took Kara to the laundry room, giving her back her newly dried jeans, shirt, socks, and hoodie. Kara hummed appreciatively as she took the warm clothes, pressing her face into the fabric. Cat left her to change, idling in the hallway until Kara stepped out, redressed. Kara had her borrowed closed held in one hand and Cat could see that she had folded them for her.  
  
“What should I do with these?” Kara asked, offering her the clothes.  
  
“I’ll just leave these in here,” Cat said, taking them and tossing them on the counter. “Garage is this way.”  
  
Cat led them to her car, flipping on the light in the garage and searching in her bag for her keys. When she’d found them, Cat unlocked the door and slipped inside. “Okay, so where do you live, again?”  
  
“Cat, it sounds like it’s stopped raining so you really don’t have to drive me,” Kara said, hovering by the front of the car.  
  
“I am not letting you walk home in the middle of the night,” Cat said, leveling her with a glare as she buckled her seatbelt. “Now, get in the car.”  
  
“But—”  
  
“Chop, chop,” Cat interjected, pressing a button on her remote and opening the door to the garage. Sighing in defeat, Kara crossed the garage and entered the passenger seat of her car. Cat smirked, enjoying her victory, and started the car as Kara buckled her seatbelt. “So now, where am I headed?”  
  
“Just head for the school and I’ll direct you from there,” Kara mumbled, sliding down in her seat as Cat pulled them out onto the street.

Cat frowned as she glanced at her passenger. “Does it really bug you that I’m taking you home?”

“No,” Kara admitted, sighing. “I'm just perfectly capable of walking.”

Cat wanted to push to see if there was another reason but decided against it; there'd be time for that another day. The drive went quick with out the usual presence of traffic, the only noise in the car coming from Cat’s lowered radio. Kara gave Cat more detailed directions as the got closer to the school, instructing her to a house two streets away. 

Cat pulled into the driveway, throwing the car into park and turning to Kara with her arm outstretched. “Let me see your phone.”

“What? Why?” Kara asked, fishing the device out of her pocket despite her protest. 

“Because when I finish with the paper tomorrow, I’m going to send you a text to let you know I’m on my way to pick you up,” Cat said simply, swiping left on the screen, amused that Kara didn’t have a lock code. She quickly typed in her own phone number, hitting send and waiting for the unknown number to appear on her own phone before ending the call. 

“You’re going to pick me up tomorrow, too?” Kara repeated as Cat handed back the phone. 

“Yes, I am,” Cat said firmly. “Because I’m sure you can find a much better use for your time at home than by walking by the side of the road for hours. It’s win-win, Kara, don’t fight me on this.”

“That’s… really nice of you, Cat. Thank you,” Kara said softly, putting her phone away. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Cat nodded. “Tomorrow.”

Kara got out of the car, climbing the steps to the front door and disappearing inside the house. Cat sighed contently, looking down at her phone. The number the principal had given Cat and her mother had been the Danvers’ home number but now she saved Kara’s personal cell number in addition to the first, adding a puppy emoji after Kara’s name in her contact list. 

Cat put the car in reverse and got back on the road. The rain was starting up again as Cat was glad that she had, at least for tonight, saved Kara from another long walk in the rain. 


	10. Chapter 10

Cat’s eyes kept drifting up to the bleachers to where Kara was sitting, one leg drawn up and a book resting against her thigh. Ever since Cat had insisted on driving, Kara would head back to school at the tail end of Cat’s cheerleading practice or newspaper meetings. Cat had argued that the point of giving Kara a ride was so that she wouldn't be inconvenienced but Kara had shot back that the wasting of finite resources was worth another ten minute walk. Cat had simply rolled her eyes, relenting on the condition that any further rainy days were exempt from their new arrangement. 

Kara had wholeheartedly agreed and so they'd spent the next couple of weeks riding together after their afternoon activities. Kara usually spent her time waiting with a book or doing some assignment or another, almost oblivious to the goings on around her. Cat wondered if having Kara in such close proximity should bother her but, every so often, Kara would look up from whatever she was reading and smile in her direction, dispelling any doubts she had. 

“Cat, are you paying attention?” Maggie asked, tapping her foot in annoyance.

Cat dragged her eyes away from the bleachers. “Yeah, I’m fine. Are we just about done?”   
  
“Fine, we’re done. That’s it for today, everybody!” Maggie announced to the rest of the squad, clapping to signal the end of practice.  
  
There were a few scattered cheers as everyone collected their belongings and headed for the locker room. Cat grabbed her water bottle and bag before joining her teammates, leaving Kara in the stands. It took Cat several minutes clean up before she was able to join up with Kara outside the locker rooms, so she made sure to muscle her way into the first round of showers so she wasn't later than necessary.

Cat was just packing up her bag when Lucy walked by, pulling her short hair into a ponytail. Suddenly remembering that she needed to speak with Lucy, Cat shouted for her. “Lucy, wait!”  
  
“Need something?” Lucy asked, finishing with her hair and leaning up against the lockers. Lucy wasn't a cheerleader but she was on the volleyball team and they shared locker space during the season. 

“I have an invitation for my birthday party,” Cat said, digging a red envelope out of her bag. “I passed most of them out during lunch but you and James were mysteriously missing.”  
  
“I wonder why that was.” Lucy smirked, taking the envelope and turning it over in her hands. “So,” she started, keeping her voice low, “you and Danvers seem to be hanging out a lot lately.”

“We’re still working on that history project together, if that’s what you mean.” She didn’t know why Lucy was staring at her like that.  
  
“But you two are getting pretty close?” Lucy pressed, her smirk widening.  
  
Cat’s eyes narrowed. “Maybe. Why?”  
  
“Well, I was just thinking that it was weird that you’d invite a history partner to your birthday party if there wasn’t something else going on,” Lucy said, turning the envelope to show Kara’s name written in loopy script on the front.  
  
Cat gasped, searching in her bag and seeing that the last remaining envelope sported Lucy’s name. She reached to switch the envelopes but Lucy pulled it out of her reach. “Dammit, Lane. Give me that!”  
  
Lucy laughed heartily but complied, handing over Kara’s invite and swapping it for her own. “So tell me, what’s the deal?”  
  
Cat sighed; she should have known this would happen sooner or later. At least it was Lucy who was doing the prying. “She’s been helping me out with my calculus grade a few times a week.”  
  
“For how long?”

Cat shrugged. “Six weeks.”  
  
“Six weeks!” Lucy exclaimed, prompting Cat to shush her.  
  
“Will you keep it down?” Cat snapped, zipping up her bag.  
  
“Sorry.” Lucy glanced around the locker room. “I was just surprised. But you two are friends now?”  
  
“Yes, we’re friends.” Cat smiled—it felt better to say that out loud than she’d originally imagined. 

“Why didn’t you tell us? Or invite her to have lunch with us?” Lucy asked, crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
“I don’t know. We’ve just barely gotten to know each other,” Cat said, shouldering her bag. “Plus, she’s got a lot going on; I don’t think subjecting her to Maggie and Perry would be a good idea.”  
  
Lucy nodded. “Maybe start slow? She’s coming to the party, right?”  
  
“I haven’t exactly asked her yet.”  
  
“Yeah, but she’s gonna say yes!” Lucy assured her. “Oh! You should totally invite her to a football game!”  
  
“We’ll see, Lucy. I’m not sure big school events are her thing,” Cat said, shutting her locker.  
  
“I bet if you ask her, she’ll say yes!” Lucy said, following Cat to the exit. “Hey, can I meet her?”  
  
Cat deliberated, measuring Lucy’s eager expression against the gut reaction she had to say no. She wasn’t exactly sure why she wanted to keep Kara from her friends anymore—if not for the girl’s protection—but Lucy was the most innocuous of the group and if there was ever a time, it would be now. “I guess…”  
  
“Great! Let’s go!” Lucy said, grabbing her own bag.  
  
Cat pushed through the door and saw Kara waiting patiently with a book in her hand. She looked up when she heard the door, a small smile on her face but that faded almost imperceptibly when she saw Lucy. 

“Kara, this is Lucy. Lucy, Kara,” Cat said, gesturing between the two.  
  
“Nice to meet you, Kara,” Lucy said, smiling brightly. “Cat’s told me—well, she’s told me nothing about you.” Cat scowled, drawing a laugh from Lucy.  
  
“Uh, nice to meet you,” Kara responded quietly, fidgeting slightly. Kara was uncomfortable despite Lucy’s open smile and Cat wanted to alleviate that unease.  
  
“Lucy was just leaving,” Cat said, looking at her friend pointedly.  
  
“Fine, fine. I’ll leave,” Lucy said, waving a hand at Cat and addressing Kara. “I just wanted to say hi so that when we see each other at Cat’s party, you’ll know someone besides Cat.”  
  
Kara looked at Cat, confusion written on her face. “Party?”  
  
“Her birthday party,” Lucy clarified, before Cat could answer.  
  
“Your birthday is coming up?” Kara asked, surprised.  
  
“It is,” Cat said, glaring at Lucy. Damn meddlesome Lane, she’d wanted to be the one to tell Kara about it. “November third.”  
  
“Oh,” Kara said, causing Cat to roll her eyes.  
  
“I was going to give you this once we were back at the house, but now’s a good a time as any,” Cat said, digging in her bag for the last envelope. “Here.”  
  
Kara’s eyes widened in surprise and she took the invitation reverently. “Wow, thanks.”  
  
“So, you’ll come?” Lucy asked, and Cat resisted the urge to elbow her. Kara’s eyes darted to Cat’s nervously and Cat tried to give her a reassuring smile.  
  
It seemed to work because Kara seemed to relax and her expression softened. “Sure. I’d love to.”  
  
“Great.” Kara’s admission seemed so genuine that Cat couldn’t help but beam at her. Out of the corner of her eye, Cat could see Lucy looking between the two of them. Figuring they’d had enough of Lucy’s meddling, Cat decided to wrap up the conversation. “Well, we should probably get going.”  
  
“Sure! We’ll have to talk costumes later.” Lucy waggled her eyebrows suggestively and Kara blanched.  
  
“What?” Kara asked, her voice higher than normal.  
  
“Yes, we will,” Cat huffed at Lucy, scowling when her friend smirked and disappeared down the hall.  
  
“Costumes?” Kara asked again, sounding pained.  
  
“Oh, didn’t I mention? The party’s on Halloween.” Linking her arm with Kara’s, Cat tried to pull her away but felt like she was pulling on a brick wall. Before she could question it, Kara starting moving with her and Cat dismissed the anomaly as they moved towards the parking lot. “You shouldn’t worry about it; the costume doesn’t have to be something elaborate. Consider it my birthday present.”  
  
“What? No way!” Kara exclaimed. “If it’s your birthday, I have to get you a present!”  
  
“Technically, I never got you anything for your birthday so you don’t have to get me anything,” Cat said, fishing her keys out of her pocket and unlocking the door.  
  
“There has to be something,” Kara said, standing beside the car.  
  
“Nope,” Cat said cheerfully, opening her door and sliding in. By the time she buckled her seatbelt, Kara still hadn’t moved so Cat rolled down the passenger side window and leaned over. “Get in the car, Kara.”  
  
The passenger door opened and Kara got inside, quiet as she put her backpack on the floor in front of her and buckled her seat belt. Kara settled against the leather seat, brows knit together, slight downward tilt to the edges of her mouth. Cat couldn’t help thinking the scene was oddly adorable. Kara would get so engrossed in her own thoughts that she would forget to keep up a conversation until she processed whatever was going on in her head. Cat didn’t mind, she experienced something of the same thing when she was writing. Plus, Kara almost always let her in on whatever she was thinking after a few moments.  
  
“What if…?” Kara started as Cat pulled them out of the parking lot and onto the main road. Cat chanced a glance at her and saw that Kara was staring resolutely at the dashboard. “What if I painted you something?”  
  
Cat had to stop herself from slamming on the brake in surprise “You’d do that?”  
  
“Yeah?” Kara flushed, shrugging her shoulders. “I mean, if you think you’ll like it.”   
  
In the past few weeks, Cat had seen more of Kara’s artwork—the odd doodle in her notebook, old sketchbooks. Kara had admitted to her, one night when she’d brought a full sketch book for Cat’s perusal, that her art was something she hadn’t shared with anyone other than her sister. Kara mentioned that she painted before but Cat had reigned in her curiosity in case she made Kara uncomfortable.  
  
“Of course I would,” Cat assured her, shooting her a quick smile.  
  
Kara’s face lit up. “Okay, then what do you want me to paint?”  
  
“I’m not going to pick! You’re the artist. Surprise me.”

“Surprise you?” Kara groaned, laying her head back against the headrest. “Fine, but I’m not dressing up for your party.”  
  
“It’s Halloween! Costumes are mandatory,” Cat said, laughing. “Sorry, I don’t make the rules!”  
  
“Yes, you do! It’s your party!” Kara shot back.  
  
“Make sure it’s a real costume, too. No dressing in anything you already have at home, that just takes so little effort.” Kara scoffed. “And none of those t-shirt costumes, those are lame,” Cat continued listing unacceptable costumes while Kara pretended to be offended, dissolving into laughter way before they even reached the house.  


* * *

After Cat had dropped her off at home, Kara reclined on her bed with the phone tucked under her head. “I don’t know what I should do, Alex.”  
  
“I’m still surprised you agreed to do it at all.” Her sister chuckled. “And a party, too? That’s huge, Kara. What did mom say?” 

“I haven't exactly told her yet,” Kara admitted, grabbing the party invitation from the bedside table. It was typed on heavy card stock with all the necessary information but Cat had handwritten her name on the envelope, adding a personal touch that Kara assumed was on all the invites. “That’s why I’m calling you. For help.” 

“Telling mom will be easy,” Alex said, the sound of a microwave beeping in the background. “Just let her know with plenty of time and don't forget to work the puppy dog eyes if she gives you a hard time.” 

“Okay, but what about her present? I said I'd paint her something,” Kara prompted, rolling onto her stomach. “Should I do like a portrait, or landscape, or something more abstract?”  
  
“Sorry, sis. I have about as much artistic talent as an elephant,” Alex said. “Now, if you want to know which mixed drinks taste the best, I can help you there.”  
  
“Well, hey! There was that one elephant that could paint.” Kara giggled. “We both know alcohol won't work on me,” she added, remembering the time she and Alex had broken into the liquor cabinet and tested out her tolerance for the stuff. 

“You know what I mean, Kara! You’re going to have to figure that one out on your own.”  
  
If Kara was being honest, she already knew one thing Cat would love. From the first time Cat had seen her sketchbook, the other girl had always favored her pictures of Krypton, spending more time appreciating those than any others. Cat always commented on how fascinating it was that Kara could create something so otherworldly. Kara would always smile and keep her mouth shut in case she was tempted to reveal the truth. It would be the first time Kara would do a full size painting of Krypton since Jeremiah died—Eliza had asked Kara to keep the Krypton artwork on a smaller scale so as not to attract unwanted attention.  
  
“Kara? You still there?” Alex asked.

“Yeah, it’s fine. I think I have an idea, anyways,” Kara said, a smile spreading on her face.  
  
“Good. So, what are you gonna wear?”

Kara groaned. “Don’t even get me started! I think I'm going to ask Winn for help on that one.”

“That's right, he has that weird sewing fixation…” Alex trailed off. 

“It's not weird! He’s actually pretty talented!” Winn had made all the costumes for the last school play. 

“And you think he’ll be okay that you're cancelling your annual Halloween Movie Marathon with him?”

“I think I'll have to make it up to him but I'm sure he'll be okay.” She hoped. “Now, tell me what's going on with your classes! You said your professor was submitting your paper for some contest?”

“Oh, yeah!” Alex exclaimed, taking over the conversation. 

Kara responded to her sister as best she could while heading to the drawer where she kept her sketchbooks. She searched through them, looking for the first book she’d ever scared with Cat. Kara found it quickly, flipping through the pages and pausing when she found the particular image she was thinking of. Kara ran a finger over the tiny grooves on the paper, smiling softly as she took in the view from her bedroom back home. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some Mild teen drinking in this chapter

“I still don’t get why you’re going,” Winn said, shaking his head as he pulled a threaded needle through the last few stitches of her costume. “I mean, it’s not like you’ll know anyone there.”  
  
Kara shrugged. “Cat wanted me to go. I told you we could go together. Cat already said it was okay.” That was an overstatement—Cat had pursed her lips when she’d asked, staring her down until finally rolling her eyes and telling her that she could bring whomever she wanted.  
  
“No, thank you,” Winn said, tying the end of his thread and clipping the excess. “Are you sure you can’t stay for two movies?”  
  
“Sorry, I only agreed to watch The Conjuring with you after you vetoed Hocus Pocus,” Kara sifted through the bowl of candy beside her for a Kit Kat. She grabbed several empty wrappers before she found an intact candy and unwrapped it, shoving the treat in her mouth.  
  
“We watch Hocus Pocus every year!” Winn complained, grabbing the bowl of candy.

“Hey!” Kara whined, her mouth still full.  
  
“You’re eating all my movie candy!” He set the bowl down out of her reach. “Plus, you’re the one that agreed to watch whatever I wanted since you’re _ditching_ me tonight.”  
  
Kara rolled her eyes. “You say that like I didn’t spend all afternoon over here and didn’t already agree to come back over tomorrow for a Doctor Who marathon,” she reminded him.  
  
“Ah yes, the Tennant years.” He sighed. Gathering up the fabric in his hands, Winn tossed her the finished costume. “Here, I’m done. Try it on.”  
  
“Wow, Winn,” Kara exclaimed, examining her new costume. “This looks great!”  
  
He’d done a decent job adapting the hoodie she’d brought him for the costume, adding the accents to the hood, arms, and chest. He’d even managed to add the mask beneath the hood. She could tell that the he’d put a lot of effort into it—she’d even be able to wear the jacket after Halloween. She carefully put her arms through the jacket and zipped it up, pulling the hood up over her head.  
  
“Do you have contacts?” He squinted at her. “Because you’ll have to take your glasses off to use the mask.”  
  
“I think I can handle it for one night,” she said, removing her glasses and pulling the mask over her face. She could still see through the mesh fabric Winn added for the eyes and Kara slipped on the turquoise flats she’d bought for the occasion. “Okay, how do I look?”  
  
“Really good, actually,” Winn said, walking around to examine her critically. When he was done with his examination, he flopped down on the couch. “Damn, I’m good!”  
  
Kara giggled, pulling the mask off and replacing her glasses. “Yes, you are. Now, come on! Let’s watch this movie,” she said, replacing the glasses back on her face and sitting on the couch next to him.  
  
Winn grinned and switched the TV input. “Prepare yourself, Danvers. I heard this one is really scary.  
  
Kara rolled her eyes. It was kind of hard to get scared when you could shoot laser beams from your eyes; not that Winn needed to know that. “Bring it on.”  


* * *

Kara jogged up the driveway to Cat’s house, turning to wave at Eliza’s car when she got to the top of the hill. Kara watched as Eliza put the car into gear and left, an offhand ‘ _Have fun, sweetheart!_ ’ spoken loud enough for Kara’s sensitive ears to hear from the driveway. Kara waited for the car engine to fade into the distance before, adjusting the bag on her shoulder and turning towards the house.  
  
She was nearly forty-five minutes late and, from the sounds Kara could hear coming from the backyard, the party was in full swing. She’d left Winn’s house on time only to be held up at home when Eliza spotted her toting a canvas bag on her way out of the house. Despite knowing that Kara was headed to a birthday party, Eliza had stopped her to chat—asking about her costume, the present, and when Kara would be home—a typical parent move, according to Alex.  
  
There was a sign on the door directing partygoers to the back yard so Kara circled around the side of the house. There was an unlocked metal gate and Kara let herself into the yard, stalling when she saw the spread in front of her. 

Lights were strung up everywhere, bathing the area in soft light, and Halloween decorations were put up everywhere alongside birthday banners and streamers. The pool, too cold to use in November, had candles floating across its surface. There was a caterer, a DJ, and tables had been scattered across the pristine lawn. There were thirty or so teenagers in attendance,  half split between crowding around tables, dancing on the makeshift dance floor, or standing in line food line.   
  
“It’s impressive, huh?” Lucy said, bounding over to her. She was wearing a Captain America costume and carrying a toy shield. “Cat always throws the best parties.”  
  
Kara nodded, returning the smile tentatively. “Everything looks great.” She didn’t know how to respond to Lucy, still unused to hanging out with anyone other than Alex, Cat, or Winn.   
  
“Well, come on!” Lucy grabbed Kara’s arm and ushered her further into the party. “I love your costume, by the way. Where’d you get it?”  
  
“Thanks! My friend, Winn, made it,” Kara said proudly, looking down at the jacket.  
  
“I’ve heard the drama teacher, Ms. Benanti, mention him before. She said he’s got some major talent.” Kara felt her opinion of Lucy improve. “Come on, let’s go find the birthday girl.”   
  
“Your costume is cool, too,” Kara offered as Lucy steered through the crowd. 

“Thanks. James is around here somewhere. He dressed up as the Falcon.” Lucy’s head whipped around. “Look, there she is. Cat!” 

From one of the tables, Cat raised her head. “Hey!” Cat extricated herself from the table. “I see you made it.”

Kara waved. “Happy birthday,” she said, unable to stop herself from looking Cat over. “Nice costume?”

“Isn't it?” Cat smirked, glancing down at herself. She was wearing a leather jacket, khaki pants, a slim fitting button down shirt, and a fedora. There was a bullwhip wrapped around her torso and some type of holster around her waist, but Kara couldn’t place what she was dressed as. 

“Yeah.” Kara nodded for a moment before shrugging. “Nope. I have no idea. What are you?”

Cat gasped, clutching her chest dramatically. “How dare you! I'm Indiana Jones!”

“Oh! I've never seen it,” she admitted, glancing between the looks of surprise on Cat and Lucy's faces. There were still a few film series that she and Alex hadn't gotten around to watching but it seemed this was a big one. 

“You've never seen it!?” Cat hissed. Kara shook her head. “Unacceptable, we’ll have to rectify that.” 

“I'm sure we will.” Kara chuckled, enjoying the fact that Cat had included herself in the activity.

“Well, good.” Cat looked Kara up and down. “Now, what are you dressed as?”

“Oh, I’m—” Kara started but she was cut off. 

“She's Spider-Gwen!” James said, walking up to Lucy and handing her a cup. He was in a t-shirt and army pants, a cardboard set of wings attached to his back and a pair of goggles hanging around his neck. 

“Thanks, babe,” Lucy said, grabbing the cup. “You didn't get me the punch, did you?” 

James shook his head. “No, I poured yours from a can.” Lucy nodded in approval and took a sip. “Anyways, cool costume!”

“Thanks,” Kara said. “I like yours, too.”

“Lucy wanted me to be Bucky, but I thought I'd pull this off better,” James said, taking a sip of his own drink. 

“So you throw on a hoodie and you think that makes you a superhero?” Cat asked, hands on her hips. Kara had spent enough time around Cat to tell when she was teasing and smiled. 

“Actually, I'm pretty sure the mask does,” Kara said, removing her glasses and pulling down the mask over her face. There was a chorus of ‘so cool’ and ‘awesome’ from around the table and Kara beamed from under her mask. 

“Impressive, Danvers. Come on, let's go get you a drink.” Cat took a couple of steps away from the table and nearly stumbled. 

“Are you okay?” Kara asked, holding her arms out in case she had to catch the other girl. Cat righted herself and waved Kara off, heading towards the food line. Kara lowered her guard, reaching out with her enhanced senses, and immediately smelling tequila. “Are you drunk?” Kara whispered, catching up with her easily. 

Cat scoffed. “Please, Kara, lightly buzzed. But, Maggie likes to load up the punch, so beware. Either way, I'm fine, I probably just need to eat.”

“Okay, well, I just need to put your present down,” Kara said, bring Cat's attention to the bag at her waist. 

Cat's eyes lit up. “Right, my painting! Let me see!” 

“Hey, no!” Kara said, pulling the bag out of Cat's reach. 

“Please?” Cat pouted and Kara had a hard time resisting the look Cat was giving her. 

“Later,” She promised, moving the bag behind her back. “It's just kind of…”  _ personal _ , she wanted to say, glad that the mask was hiding the color rising in her cheeks. 

Cat seemed to understand even without seeing her face. “Okay, fine.” She rolled her eyes. “Go put it in my room.” 

“Your room?” Kara asked, glancing towards a table with a pile of presents. 

“We wouldn't want it to get ruined out here. Go ahead and I'll grab us some food,” Cat said, leaving Kara to jump to the head of the food line. 

“I'll be right back,” Kara said, pulling the mask off her face and heading for the house. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I never went to any parties in high school but I did have a friend who had parties like this and the adults would just lock themselves in the house while the teenagers had free reign. I'm taking some liberties here but hopefully it works.


	12. Chapter 12

Cat set two overloaded plates onto the table. She'd made sure there was enough for Kara's usual appetite and chosen an empty table to sit at while she waited for her friend to return. 

“Here are the drinks you asked for, Cat,” Lucy said, putting two plastic cups in front of her.

“Thanks.” Cat expected Lucy to leave and scowled when Lucy and James took a seat across from her. 

“Where'd Kara go?” Lucy asked, scanning the crowd. 

“She'll be back.” Cat took a bite directly from a dinner roll. “Weren't you two busy doing something else?”

James looked confused but Lucy laughed. “Nope, we're all yours.”

“Lovely,” Cat said sarcastically, grabbing her drink. 

Kara chose that moment to reappear at Cat's elbow. She wasn't wearing the white mask anymore but she hadn't replaced her glasses either, leaving her expression open and her hair falling around her face. “Nice, bacon!” Kara exclaimed, grabbing a bacon wrapped sausage and popping it into her mouth as she dropped into the empty chair besides Cat. “Thanks!”

“Yes, and sliders,” Cat said, pushing one of the plates towards her. 

“Cool,” Kara said, unzipping her jacket. Cat looked at her questioningly and Kara shrugged. “Winn made the jacket and I don't want it ruined when I've been wearing it less than an hour.” Kara laid the jacket over the back of her chair, leaving her in only a black t-shirt. 

Cat nodded, grabbing her cup and taking a drink of the alcohol laden punch. “Where is your little hobbit sidekick?” She asked, trying to keep the venom out of her voice. Cat had been irrationally annoyed when Kara had asked if she'd could bring her little friend. Cat was surprised she hadn't seen him yet. 

“He couldn’t make it but he says happy birthday,” Kara said, grabbing one of the sliders. “How'd you know he was going to be a hobbit?” Across the table Lucy laughed into her drink. 

“Lucky guess.” Cat felt a slight thrill in her stomach at the knowledge that Kara had come alone. “Well, I'm glad you could make it.”

Kara smiled warmly at her. “I wouldn't have missed this for the world.” 

Cat felt Lucy looking at them oddly but ignored her friend, not holding back the smile that spread over her face. The moment ended, however, when Kara began stuffing her face with one of the cheeseburger sliders. Cat couldn’t help but chuckle and turn her attention to her own food. 

The time passed quickly between James adamantly championing that the Falcon deserved a film all on his own, Lucy reenacting the first half of the Winter Soldier after Kara admitted she hadn't seen it, and the whole group cheering Kara on when she attempted to eat her tenth slider. Either Lucy or James would dash away for more drinks or burgers. Without realizing it, Cat had consumed another three cups of punch. Kara had around the same.

“Cat, did you want to cut the cake or were you planning on sitting and ignoring the rest of us all night?”  Maggie asked as she approached the table, stopping beside them and placing her hands on her hips. Her voice was light but Cat could hear the bite to her tone.  
  
Cat checked her phone for the time, noticing that it was well after ten o’clock. “Yeah, I suppose it’s time.” She stood reluctantly and held herself steady when the world swayed slightly around her—maybe she’d had a bit more punch than was necessary—and looked back at Kara. “Are you coming?”  
  
“Uh…” Kara cast a small look towards Maggie. “I’ll stay here. I wanted to get some more food anyways.”  
  
“Okay, I’ll be bring you back a piece of cake,” Cat promised, earning a wide smile. 

“More food?” James whispered, impressed. 

Cat smirked hearing Kara chuckle and let Maggie lead her towards the crowd that had gathered around the cake. Maggie was hissing something in her ear about being a poor party host as they walked up to the table but Cat was too buzzed to allow herself to focus on Maggie’s shrill voice. She braced herself against the table as more of her friends started a semi-drunken chorus of ‘ _ Happy Birthday _ ’ and rolled her eyes playfully when they asked her to blow out the candles. 

There was a round of cheering when the cake was cut—vanilla cake with strawberry slices in the middle—and thirty odd teenagers jostled each other for the chance to get a slice. Cat made sure to save a particularly large slice for Kara before the cake was gone, rolling her eyes when she spotted Perry White grabbing two pieces of cake when he thought no one was looking. Retuning back to the table, Cat paused when she saw that it was empty except for Lucy. 

“Where'd everyone go?” Cat asked, glancing around the yard. 

“James went for cake when we spotted Perry walking past trying to balance three pieces at the same time,” Lucy said, scrolling through her Instagram feed. 

“And Kara?” Cat pressed, stepping up on her tiptoes to see if she could see the girl in the catering line. 

“She went to the bathroom,” Lucy answered, gesturing towards the house. 

“I'll be back,” Cat said, putting the piece of cake down on the table. 

Lucy looked up. “She said she'd be right back, Cat.”

“Make sure no one eats that,” Cat took off towards the house.

Cat crossed the yard, waving and nodding dismissively as people tried to catch her attention. She slipped into the house through the kitchen door, making her way to the downstairs bathroom that was left open for guests during parties. The door was closed and a light shining through the bottom, signaling the room was in use, and there was a line of about five people outside the bathroom, all looking mildly annoyed. 

“Sorry,” the first girl in line said, huffing—Cat recognized her as a girl named Megan from her fifth period class. “He’s been in there for a while.” 

“Oh?” Cat asked, stepping closer and knocking on the door. “Everything okay in there?” She called, getting no answer except from a horrible retching noise that made Cat draw back quickly. “Gross.”

“Tell me about it,” Megan rolled her eyes. “One girl was so desperate that I think I saw her go upstairs!”

Cat felt her lips twitch upwards. That was probably Kara. “I better go check,” Cat said, turning towards the stairs. “See you later, Megan.”

“Uh, yeah,” the girl answered, grumbling slightly. “It's Michelle.”

“Oops,” Cat shrugged, a small giggle passing through her lips. Turning a little too quickly, Cat nearly stumbled as she made it to the bottom of the stairs. 

* * *

Kara washed her hands before drying them on the towel hanging next to the sink. Kara could hear the music from outside clearly and her head bobbed slightly as she shut off the light and walked out the door, nearly shouting in surprise when she saw Cat perched on the edge of the bed in the room. 

“Cat!” Kara exclaimed, jumping slightly. 

“Did I scare you?” Cat chuckled, a wide smile on her face. 

She stood, slightly more wobbly than the last time Kara had seen her move, and came to stand directly in front of her. Cat was a little closer to Kara than she was used to but she stood her ground in case Cat toppled over. 

“A little,” Kara admitted, walking further into the room. She had been so focused on listening to the end of the song outside that she had missed Cat’s heartbeat in the next room. “I’m sorry, by the way.” Cat looked up at her in confusion. “Uh, for coming upstairs? Someone said that the second floor was off limits during your parties but the line was super long and it sounded like it was going to be a while—”

Cat scoffed. “Oh, please. That rule is just because mother says she’ll take any damages out of my trust fund—it doesn’t apply to you.”

“Wait, where is your mom?” She didn’t have any desire to see Cat’s mom, far from it, but she did think it was a little odd not to see a parent present at the party. “Is she hiding out in her room?”  
  
“Please, she’d not even in the state right now!” Cat laughed harshly. “She had some conference in Central City to attend; she won’t be back until next weekend.”  
  
“But it’s your birthday,” Kara lamented, at a loss for why Cat’s mom would willingly go to a conference that coincided with her daughter’s birthday.  
  
“My mother hasn’t been present for one of my birthdays in years.” Cat took a step away from Kara and crossed to her desk. “As long as the cops don’t get called, I can have all the parties I want.” She shrugged. “It makes things easier.”  
  
“Cat,” Kara whispered, taking a step forward. 

Cat turned towards her, a tight smile on her face. “Since we’re up here, why don’t you go ahead and give me my present?”  
  
“Okay,” Kara said, keeping an eye on Cat as she moved to where she’d propped the canvas against the wall.  
  
She lifted the painting clear of the bag she’d brought it in, the birthday themed paper crinkling in her grip. She handed it to Cat, who took the painting with an eager smile. Kara stood to the side as Cat began to rip off the paper, rocking slightly back and forth on her heels. Kara could tell when Cat had finished unwrapping the painting because she heard Cat let out a soft gasp.  
  
“Kara, this is...” Cat started, trailing off as she ran one finger delicately over the canvas.  
  
Kara nodded. “I knew that one sketch was your favorite so…”

Whenever they had down time during their study sessions, Cat would always fish her sketchbooks from her backpack and flip through the pages until she found one of the many sketches she’d done of her home planet. Cat still had no idea what it really was, had learned not to ask, but she always lingered there, amazed at the scenery before her. Kara hadn't translated any of her Krypton sketches to a paintings in years but she found that she had genuinely enjoyed the process. It felt good to layer on the paint, giving the mountains texture, and the skies deeper hues. To Kara, it made the picture seem more real, like if she reached in she might be able to touch it all again.

“I love it,” Cat said, holding the canvas gingerly in her arms. “Help me hang it up?” She looked at the cork board hanging over her desk.  
  
“Sure,” Kara said, following Cat to the desk. “Are you sure you want to move your board, though?”  
  
“I just want to see what it will look like up on the wall,” Cat told her, looking again at the painting in her hands. “I can always move it to another wall later.”  
  
Kara nodded, stepping forwards and removing the board from the wall. She was careful not to disturb the articles pinned to it or rip the nails from the wall as she lifted it free. Lowering it gently, Kara set the board on the ground against the desk. 

“Here, I’ll take that.” Kara reached for the painting, her hands briefly brushing against Cat’s fingers before placing the painting. “Um, how’s that?” She stepped back to let Cat have a look.  
  
“It’s perfect. Thank you.” Cat reached out and lightly brushed Kara’s forearm. Despite being covered by her hoodie, Kara felt her skin tingle where Cat was touching her. “For my present.”

“You’re welcome.” Kara ducked her head. She had struggled, at first, with the decision to give Cat one of her paintings; there wasn’t even any of her artwork hanging on her walls at home. “I’m really glad you like it.”

“You know what else I really like?”

“No.” Kara shook her head, watching her curiously. Cat hadn’t moved her hand from Kara’s arm and she was close enough that she could clearly hear Cat’s heartbeat—getting louder and faster the closer Cat got to her.  

“I really like when you don’t wear your glasses,” Cat said, tilting her face back. “You’re eyes are very blue. I like blue.”

Kara shifted nervously under Cat’s gaze. “Thanks?” 

She didn’t know why Cat was saying this. It was embarrassing to feel Cat examining her so closely. Especially when all Kara wanted to tell her that she preferred the green of Cat’s eyes to her own, anyways.

“Your face is sort of flushed. Did you have as much to drink as I did?” Cat asked, her eyes narrowing. 

“I don’t think so?” Kara said, trying to back up more and feeling her legs hit Cat’s desk. “I’m not sure it affected me as much as you. I have kind of, uh, high tolerance for things like that.” Kara chuckled nervously. 

Cat nodded, her head bobbing slightly more than she normally would have. “You’re cute when you babble.” She leaned her upper body forward and, suddenly, Cat was close enough for Kara to feel the heat radiating from her body. “Kara?”

“Yeah?” Kara answered, her voice higher than normal. They were closer than they’d ever been and Kara felt her stomach flutter when their eyes met, Cat’s gaze intense. 

“There’s something I want to try,” Cat said, sliding her hand higher up Kara’s arm, making goosebumps rise on her skin. “If you wanted...” 

Kara’s breath hitched in her throat because Cat couldn’t possibly be asking her what she thought she was asking her. Could she?

Cat’s eyes dropped down to Kara’s lips. “I’d understand if you didn’t want to,” she said quietly. 

“Um,” Kara mumbled, her own eyes darting around Cat’s face. 

“Do you?” Cat breathed, pressing her upper body against Kara. 

Cat was waiting on her, waiting on Kara’s permission to go ahead and do…whatever she was going to do. Kara opened her mouth to speak several times but she was losing her train of thought at the feeling of Cat being pressed against her. Because Cat was warm and she smelled really nice, despite the faint scent of tequila coming from her pores, and Cat’s eyes kept drifting to her lips, making her wonder what it would feel like to have Cat’s mouth pressed against hers. Cat raised an eyebrow in a final question and Kara felt herself nodding minutely, causing a small smile to spread over Cat’s face. 

Cat leaned in closer, their faces were only a few inches away, and Kara heard Cat’s heart pounding loudly in her chest, and felt her own breathing speed up. Cat’s eyes were half-lidded, her lips parted slightly, her sweet breath washing over Kara’s cheek. Kara tilted her head and leaned in to meet Cat halfway, her own eyes sliding shut—

“Hey, Cat, I’m going to go ahead and take off. You know the Colonel doesn’t like me out past eleven,” Lucy said, glancing down at her phone as she entered the room. Kara startled, pulling back as Cat nearly leapt a foot away from her.  
  
“Lucy!” Cat growled, glaring daggers at her friend. “You ever hear of knocking?”  
  
Lucy looked up, taking in Cat’s angry expression and Kara’s flushed face. “Oh! I’m so sorry. The door wasn’t closed so I’ll just—” She retreated from the room, slamming the door. 


	13. Chapter 13

Cat shifted in bed, groaning when she turned towards her window and found sunlight beating down on her. Cursing at the pounding in her head, Cat pulled the covers over her head. Someone chuckled from the doorway,  causing Cat’s heart to stop. Throwing the covers back, Cat zeroed in on the intruder.  
  
“Lucy!” Cat exclaimed, glaring at the sight of her friend leaning against her bedroom door.  
  
“So, I see you’ve survived,” Lucy said, walking forward and putting a to-go coffee and small paper bag down on her nightstand. As she stepped back, Cat noticed that Lucy had her short, dark hair pulled back into a small ponytail and she was dressed in a grey, zip-up hoodie with a purple tank top underneath, black yoga pants, and running shoes. “I brought you a latte and a muffin to soak up whatever’s left over from last night.”  
  
“What did you do? Run here?” Cat threw the covers back and sat up, shivering when she registered the low temperature. The November air was too cold for the thin t-shirt she was wearing so she pulled up one of her blankets to wrap around her shoulders.  
  
“I ran the track at the school earlier, and then drove to grab your coffee.” Lucy shrugged, stretching her arms over her head.  
  
“How did you even get in here?” Cat grabbed the coffee from the nightstand.  
  
“The cleaning crew left the door unlocked,” Lucy said, smiling brightly.  
  
Cat scowled until she took a sip of the coffee, sighing as the beverage slid over her tongue and chased the last remnants of sleep from her head. Cat watched as Lucy seated herself on the edge of the bed. She was grateful for the coffee but still slightly annoyed with Lucy after she interrupted Cat the previous ni—  
  
“Oh my god,” Cat whispered, setting her coffee down and burying her head in her hands. “Kara.”  
  
Cat remembered how much she had to drink, remembered feeling inexplicably annoyed by her guests, wishing that she could get Kara alone and feeling pleased when she was able to retreat up to her bedroom with her. Cat lifted her head and stole a glance at the canvas that was now hanging on her wall. They’d hung the painting together, standing back to admire Kara’s work until Cat was backing Kara up against the desk, leaning in close and feeling the other girl’s breath on her face.  
  
“Finally remembered that, have you?” Lucy said, looking over at Cat with a pitying look on her face. “How bad was it, after I left?”  
  
Cat groaned miserably. If it hadn’t have been for Lucy, Cat would have kissed Kara. As it was, Lucy’s interruption had allowed Kara an out, the other girl politely telling Cat that she would see her later and fleeing the room. By the time Cat had the forethought to follow her out, Kara had disappeared from the party. After that, Cat spent the rest of the party nursing her rejection with more punch until the last of her guests had left for the night.  
  
“So, not well?” Lucy guessed, taking in Cat’s expression.  
  
“She left right after you did,” Cat said, taking another drink of her coffee. “So, I really have no idea.”  
  
“But you like her?” Lucy pressed, looking at Cat with her eyebrows raised. Cat nodded and Lucy practically squealed. “That’s so great! How long have you known?” Lucy bounced up and down on the mattress.  
  
“Uh, last night?” Cat said, shaking her head. She’d known for a while that Kara meant more to her than many of her other friends. She'd simply thought that it meant that she viewed Kara as her best friend. But last night, Kara had looked so pretty and all Cat had wanted to do was pull her close…  
  
“Wow, you're really screwed,” Lucy said, her eyes roving over Cat’s face. Cat glared and Lucy held up her hands in a sign of surrender. “Hey, I'm just saying.”  
  
“Well, don't,” Cat snapped, grabbing the bag Lucy had brought from her nightstand. Cat unwrapped the blueberry muffin from the paper bag and tore it apart with her fingers. She popped a portion of the muffin into her mouth and hummed appreciatively.  
  
“Okay, well, what are you going to do?” Lucy asked, reaching for a piece of the muffin. Cat tried to slap Lucy’s hand away but the other girl was persistent and came away with a bit of muffin. “I mean, I’m pretty sure when I walked in on you two, you were about to get into a pretty serious kiss.”  
  
“We were. Almost, that is,” Cat clarified, at the growing smirk on Lucy’s face. “But then she pretty much freaked out and left as soon as you were gone.”  
  
“Well, did she call you? Or text you?” Lucy asked, her voice rising in pitch.  
  
“Where’s my phone?” Cat asked, turning to look. It wasn’t on her nightstand or anywhere in bed with her and Cat cursed until Lucy ducked down and grabbed something off the floor.  
  
“Floor,” Lucy said, straightening and tossing Cat her phone.  
  
Cat tried to unlock her phone, frowning. She leaned over and pulled the charger cord from its permanent place in her wall outlet. The phone vibrated in her hand and lit up with the white apple symbol when the electricity reached it, making Cat sigh. “It was dead.”  
  
Lucy was quiet while Cat waited for her phone to boot up. It took a few moments but, finally, the phone started beeping with several incoming messages. Most of the messages were from her party guests, letting Cat know they'd gotten home okay, one from her mother informing her of her extended trip, and one from Lucy saying that she was coming over. There was nothing from Kara.  
  
“Did she text you?” Lucy asked, peering over the edge of the phone.  
  
“No,” Cat said, sighing. She navigated to Kara’s name in her messages, looking at the sideways text smiley face Kara had sent her the other day.  
  
“Well, are you going to text her?” Lucy asked, sounding hopeful.  
  
Cat pursed her lips, considering her next move. She could try and text Kara under the guise of making sure she had gotten home okay, pretending that she had no memory of the previous night. Cat quickly dismissed that idea; she didn't want to pretend it didn't happen.    
  
“Fine. But I'm not mentioning anything until she does,” Cat said, typing out a general ‘hey’ and hitting send.  
  
“You're not going to send more than that?” Lucy asked, looking at Cat in disbelief.  
  
“No,” Cat said stubbornly, tossing the phone against the sheets.  
  
“Aw, come on, Cat!” Lucy complained, reaching for the abandoned phone.  
  
“No, Lucy, just leave it alone,” Cat shook her head, grimacing when her head spun. “If she wants to get in touch with me, she can.”  
  
“Well, what do you want to do until then?” Lucy sighed, leaning back until she was lying on Cat’s bedspread. When Cat didn’t answer, Lucy sat up suddenly, struck with an idea. “You want to work on your article that will shame the school district?”  
  
The corner of Cat’s lips twitched despite herself. “Yes.”  
  
“Alright, I’ll grab your research.” Lucy pushed herself up off the bed. She walked over to Cat’s desk, grabbing her binder, and pausing when she saw the canvas that was now hanging on the wall. “When did you get this?”  
  
“Last night.” Cat’s eyes glanced over to the painting. “Kara made it for me.”  
  
“It’s beautiful,” Lucy said, her voice quiet.  
  
Cat nodded her agreement. Last night, Cat had been excited and incredibly moved by Kara’s present. Now, she was worried that Kara would regret giving her such a personal gift. Not wanting to dwell on it any longer, Cat threw back the covers and joined Lucy at the desk. She grabbed the files that were held limply in Lucy’s grip and spread them out over the bed. Finally realizing that Cat was done talking about the previous night, Lucy pulled her desk chair over while Cat sat gingerly on the edge of the mattress.  
  
“Come on, we have an administration to crush,” Cat said, pulling a copy of the school’s budget report closer.  


* * *

Lucy kept her company for a few hours, keeping Cat’s mind on the paper and tempering the impulse to keep checking her phone every thirty seconds for a response from Kara. It had helped—at least until Lucy had left—and Cat spent the rest of the afternoon trying to stop obsessing over why Kara hadn’t answered her.  
  
Once Cat had done all she could on the article, she had switched to editing a few other pieces her colleagues on the paper had submitted, then sorted all her gifts and wrote out thank you notes for each guest. By the time Cat had finished reading _The Crucible_ a second time in preparation for her English mid-term, it was after ten p.m. Cat knew that, if Kara had planned to get a hold of her, she would have done it by now. With nothing left to do, Cat lay in bed with the lights out, scowling at the ceiling.  



	14. Chapter 14

Kara gripped the straps of her backpack nervously as she walked to school Monday morning, only letting go of the nylon straps when she felt the stitching popping from her excess strength. She’d overslept in the morning and had to rush to get out of the house, regulating herself to human speed because the route from the Danvers’ house to the school was a busy one. The bell rang as she walked up to the building, the loud noise sending the other students scurrying for their classrooms.  
  
“Crap,” Kara cursed, jogging up the stairs. She may have made it to school on time, but Kara’s plan of finding Cat and speaking to her about the events of Saturday night would have to wait until later.  
  
Kara settled herself in her first period class, sinking low into the desk as her teacher began to lecture. She would have called Cat on Sunday to handle this situation but Kara had accidentally smashed her phone in her haste to call her sister once she’d gotten home after the party. Without having Cat’s number memorized, Kara was forced to choose between waiting for school on Monday or showing up on Cat’s doorstep—a move that she wasn’t altogether sure would be welcome.  
  
Kara had succeeded in contacting her sister on Halloween by swiping the landline from the living room and calling her sister's cell phone while she paced the length of her room. Alex had been at a party of her own, the music and the roar of the crowd louder than anything that had been at Cat’s party. Alex had been slightly inebriated and it had taken Kara a couple of minutes to get through to Alex that she needed to talk. It was scary how fast Alex seemed to sober up when she thought Kara was in trouble but Kara calmed her down by blurting out that Cat had nearly kissed her.  
  
There had been silence on the other line for an extended amount of time while Alex processed Kara’s words. Kara had listened as the background noise faded, the sound of Alex’s breathing picking up as she left her party. When it was quiet, Alex had asked Kara how she felt about what had happened. Kara had stayed quiet, thinking about Cat and what had happened until Alex had gotten her attention, asking if Kara was still on the line.  
  
Finally, Kara admitted that, while she hadn’t thought of Cat in that capacity before, she’d very much wanted to kiss Cat in that moment. Alex had been supportive, making Kara promise to call her with an update before giving Kara a hearty ‘ _go get ‘em, tiger_ ’ and hanging up the phone. Kara had slept fitfully after that, passing the rest of the night thinking about Cat. The next morning, Kara had only dragged herself out of bed because she had promised Winn his Doctor Who marathon.  
  
“Hello! Earth to Kara!” Winn waved a hand in front of her face, snapping Kara back to the present.  
  
“Huh, what?” Kara blinked, looking over to where Winn was leaning over his desk to get to her.  
  
Winn frowned, assessing her. “You okay, Kara?” He asked, leaning back in his chair. “You seem really distracted.”  
  
“I’m fine, Winn,” Kara said, flashing him a quick smile.  
  
Winn didn’t seemed convinced but he let it go, turning his attention back to the teacher. Kara tried to focus better after that, carrying on with Winn like normal until he stopped sending her sidelong glances. Not bothering to shove her books into her bag, Kara gathered up her things in her arms, wanting to arrive early for the English class she shared with Cat. She said goodbye to Winn before she dashed out of the room, promising to see him later and earning a confused wave as she rushed away.  
  
Kara entered the classroom with her heart beating faster in her chest, eyes quickly searching the classroom for Cat and coming up empty. Her English teacher cleared his throat from his spot behind the desk, glaring at her for the frantic way she’d run into the room. Kara ducked her head bashfully, making her way to her seat with purposely slow steps. Kara stood by her assigned and watched as her other classmates filed in, a few of them looking at her oddly as they took their own seats while she stood resolutely upright.  
  
Looking at the clock, Kara saw that there was still two minutes until the bell rang. With every second that ticked by, Kara debated what to say to Cat. _Hey, great party. Sorry I left after you tried to kiss me._ _Want to go out with me?_ Kara dismissed that thought quickly. She couldn't say that; that would be lame.  
  
Cat didn't walk into the classroom until there was less than thirty seconds to the bell, looking extremely put together in dark skinny jeans and a band inspired jacket. Kara's breath caught when she spotted her, the fluttering in her stomach Kara used to think was happiness to see her friend she now recognized as attraction. Kara stepped forward, meaning to get Cat’s attention, but Cat headed straight for her seat without sparing her a glance.  
  
“Now, if everyone would take their seat,” the teacher said pointedly, one eyebrow raised above his thick-rimmed glasses. Knowing that he meant her, Kara sat down at her desk, earning an approving nod. “Now,” he continued, picking up a dry erase marker and uncapping it. “We were discussing the recurring themes that appear in _The Crucible_ …”  
  
Kara stopped paying attention, her gaze trained on the back of Cat’s head. She’d already finished reading the book and had an in depth discussion with Alex on its themes last week—Kara didn't need to listen to the discussion. She wished that Cat would turn her way, give her that sly smile that was usually reserved for whenever they shared a class. Instead, Cat kept herself turned rigidly towards the front of the classroom, studiously taking notes that Kara knew she didn't need.  
  
Kara bounced her leg up and down as she counted down the minutes to the end of class, taking sloppy notes in order to give her hands something to do besides pulverizing the edges of the wooden desk. When the bell finally rang, Kara made sure that she was the first one out of her seat, standing determinedly in the aisle beside Cat’s desk.  
  
“Cat,” Kara started, gripping her books to her chest.  
  
“Kara,” Cat answered, not looking at Kara as she packed her bag.  
  
“Can we talk?” Kara asked, her nerves filtering through and making her voice sound higher to her ears than normal.  
  
“We have class,” Cat said, letting out an exasperated sigh when she saw that Kara was blocking her path. “Do you think you could…” Cat waved a hand at the space between them.  
  
Kara’s heart sank. Cat was trying to avoid her. Had Kara misinterpreted what had happened on Saturday? She bit her lip. No, she remembered everything correctly, they’d nearly kissed. Did Cat’s brusque attitude mean that she regretted it? Kara swallowed against the lump that was forming in her throat.  
  
“At lunch?” Kara suggested hopefully, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Whether Cat meant it or not, she was determined to clear the air between them; Kara was not prepared to lose her friend over this.  
  
Cat sighed, closing her eyes momentarily. “Fine, lunch.” Cat shouldered her bag. “Until then, we have class.”  
  
“Right,” Kara said, moving to the side. Cat walked past her, moving in so close that Kara could have reached out and touched her. Kara kept her hands to herself, watching Cat walk away from her and out of the classroom. “Lunch,” Kara said to herself. She could wait another two hours to fix this. Kara took a steadying breath. She was going to fix this.  


* * *

Kara paced around the area next to the bleachers, keeping an eye on the path that led from the school. In warmer months, many students would eat their meals on the bleachers but the recent cold front meant that everyone had retreated inside to eat in stairwells and club rooms. She’d spoken to Cat again in their shared History class, their conversation lasting only long enough for Cat to tell her that they’d meet by the bleachers ten minutes into the lunch period before Cat disappeared down the hall. 

Kara had run out to the field as soon as lunch had started, too nervous to even try and eat the lunch she’d packed. Kara could tell that Cat chose this spot for privacy, the closest people around a pair of track runners practicing their long jumps on the other side of the field. She wished she knew how much time had passed but without her phone, she had no way to tell how long she'd been waiting. 

A condescending grumbling caught Kara's attention, making her head whirl in the direction of the school. “Lucy just needs to mind her own business…” 

Kara felt her lips twitch upwards into a smile. Cat’s irritation was something she was familiar with having been on the receiving end of quite a few of Cat's rants. She found herself wondering what Lucy had done to irk Cat in such a short time until Cat glanced up at her, face blank, and Kara remembered why they were out here. Kara’s mouth went strangely dry and she fought to swallow against the unpleasant feeling. 

“Hey,” she started lamely, touching the frames of her glasses reflexively. 

“You wanted to talk?” Cat asked, coming to stand a few feet from Kara, hands on her hips. It was a pose that screamed defensive—one that Kara wasn't used to seeing. 

“I just wanted to talk to you after what happened,” Kara said, taking a deep breath. She waited for Cat to exhibit some sort of reaction, an intake of breath, an understanding expression, but Cat maintained her composure. “Um, at the party?” Kara tried again, voice wavering slightly. “Cat, we nearly kissed!” Kara exclaimed, looking around in panic to make sure no one would overhear her outburst. 

“Oh, that,” Cat said, nodding slightly. She pursed her lips in thought before adding, “we don’t have to make a big deal out of it. Things obviously got out of hand. I'm sorry.”

“What?” Kara blinked several times as she tried to absorb what Cat was saying. This conversation was not turning out how she'd prepared it in her head. “Are you saying it didn't mean anything to you?”

“People do crazy things when they drink too much and we had one too many drinks,” Cat continued, looking politely contrite. “Me more than you, obviously.” Cat waved one hand flippantly. “I mean, it’s not like you would have kissed me that night, right?”   
  
“Well, no, but—” Kara started, shaking her head. Cat’s expression hardened and Kara knew that she'd misspoke. “Cat…”

“Hey, I get it!” Cat spoke over her, a pained smile coming over her face. “No need to say more.” Cat looked over her shoulder. “Look, I better get back before lunch is over.” Cat turned away, heading back to the school faster than Kara had expected. 

“No, Cat! That’s not it at all!” Kara called after her, taking two steps forward. Cat was wasn't turning around, still resolutely walking away. Unwilling to let Cat leave without making her hear what she had to say, Kara put on a burst of speed so that she could get in front of her, thankful that Cat was looking at the ground and not how fast Kara had closed the distance between them. “Cat, wait.”   
  
“Why should I?” Cat muttered darkly, glaring up at her.   
  
“Because I didn’t mean it like that,” Kara started, feeling heat rise in her cheeks as she prepared to tell Cat the truth. 

Cat tried to sidestep around her and Kara stepped back into her path. “Get out of my way, Kara!”   
  
“I will,” Kara promised. “But, look…” Cat crossed her arms over her chest and waited. “I just meant that wouldn’t have kissed you because you were drunk.” Cat opened her mouth to protest but Kara cut her off. “You were! Whether you were a little or a lot drunk, it doesn’t matter. Because it would have been taking advantage, and I wouldn’t have wanted that to be our first kiss!” Kara realized that she was practically shouting so she lowered her voice and shuffled her feet. “You know, because I’m all about consent…” Kara finished weakly.   
  
Silence fell between them but Kara couldn’t find it in herself to meet Cat’s eyes, choosing instead to stare at a crack in the sidewalk. Nearly a minute passed and Kara chanced a look up at Cat, the other girl staring back at her with narrowed eyes and pursed lips.   
  
“So, then,” Cat started, unfolding her arms and stepping closer to Kara. Cat was just as close as she had been that night and, despite her nerves, Kara stayed glued in place. “If I were to kiss you now, while both of us are completely sober, we would both be in agreement that it was something we both wanted?” Cat asked, her eye never breaking contact with Kara's face.    
  
She could hear Cat’s heart beating wildly in her chest, the sound of her own heartbeat nearly matching pace. “Yes,” Kara said, breathless.   
  
“Thank god,” Cat exclaimed, leaning forwards and pressing their lips together.   



	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter starts with a bit of a time jump (not too long) but its only because I tried seventy-thousand times to write this chapter and failed so this was the only way I could make it flow. Anyways, enjoy.

The November air cut through the field, making half the squad shiver. “Weaklings,” Cat mumbled, smirking. Obviously this year's crop of freshman needed to toughen up.

There was a general cheering from the crowds as Midvale’s quarterback earned another first down but Cat wasn’t paying attention to the game anymore; it was the fourth quarter and they were up by four touchdowns, a win was practically assured at this point. Cat looked back over her shoulder, scanning the stands until her eyes landed to where Kara was sitting, bundled adorably in a blue scarf and matching earmuffs. 

When Kara spotted Cat looking back at her, Kara waved enthusiastically. The action caught Lucy's attention, the other girl sitting beside Kara and blowing on what Cat assumed was hot cider. Lucy waggled her fingers at Cat in greeting, the same gesture she made anytime she caught Cat looking back at Kara. Cat scowled and brought her attention back to the football game.

“So, Cat.” Maggie nudged her in the shoulder with her elbow. “Are you coming out with the rest of us or are you going to be hanging out with that Clara Danvers girl again?” 

“It’s  _ Kara _ ,” Cat hissed, not bothering to look at Maggie. She didn’t mention that she’d spent the first few weeks they’d been acquainted calling her ‘Kiera’. “And what plans I have with my  _ girlfriend  _ are really nobody’s business.” Cat emphasized the word to get her point across. 

“Wow, so that’s really a thing, then? You’re gay now?” she asked, her mouth twisting downward like she’d just tasted something unpleasant. 

The team scored again and both Cat and Maggie waved their pom poms enthusiastically. The crowd behind them cheered. 

“Well, I never took you for a homophobe,  _ Mags _ ,” Cat said pointedly, knowing the other girl hated the nickname. It had the desired effect, Maggie’s face darkened. 

“I’m not!” she said indignantly. “Date whoever you want. What do I care?” Maggie looked to the girl on her left. “I need to be closer to the center. Karen, switch with me!” 

“Okay.” Karen looked confused but complied, switching spots with Maggie so that there was a buffer between them. 

Cat smirked in her victory. She didn’t need Maggie’s approval to feel secure in her relationship with Kara and she sure as hell wasn’t going to let the other girl put either of them down in any way. As for her sexuality… 

She’d previously had boyfriends and she’d even done some drunken experimenting with Katie what’s-her-name back at camp last summer. She was more than happy to claim her bisexuality with pride. 

The clock ran to zero, and the announcer officially named their team the winner. Cat screamed and performed the victory cheer with the rest of the squad as the teams lined up to shake hands. Not caring to run onto the field like she usually would, Cat dropped her pom poms and headed for the stands. Lucy saw Cat approaching and nudged Kara.

“James said he wanted to go get pizza after the game,” Lucy announced as she approached. “Did you two want to tag along?”

“Hi,” Kara told her shyly, stopping directly in front of Cat. 

“Hi,” Cat repeated, leaning in and planting a kiss on Kara’s lips. 

Kara blushed furiously—in the four days they’d been dating, they hadn’t really done much pda—and reached up to touch her glasses. “Your nose is frozen,” she said, a goofy smile on her face. 

“That’s what happens when you’re left out to the elements in November without even a scarf,” Cat said, pulling lightly on the fabric that was wrapped around Kara’s neck. “I’ll warm up when we get into the car.”

“That’s great,” Lucy interjected. “Now, where do we stand on pizza?”

“Well, I haven’t eaten and I know Kara can eat—despite the large nachos I saw you put away in the first quarter,” Cat said teasingly.

“Hey! It was a long game!” Kara complained, laughing. “But, yeah, I could eat.” 

“Then, I guess that’s settled.”

“Great,” Lucy said, beaming. “Because James was talking about going to Shakey’s and seeing if the two of you could eat everything in the restaurant or if they’d kick us out first.” Lucy pointed to Kara. 

“Sounds like fun.” Kara smiled. 

“Awesome,” Lucy said. Cupping her hands around her mouth, Lucy shouted towards the field. “Olsen!” In the sea of football players, James perked up at the sound of his name and turned towards them. “We’re on for pizza!” 

James gave them a thumbs up and pointed towards the school. “Locker room. Twenty minutes?” he asked. Lucy nodded. 

“Well, I better go grab my things, too,” Cat said, jerking her head in the same direction. “Meet you two in front of the school.” Cat was asking them both but her eyes were on Kara.

Kara nodded. “Of course.”

“Okay.” Cat grinned. “See you in a few.” She turned and jogged up to the school. 

* * *

“So, dinner was fun,” Cat said as they pulled up to Kara’s house. 

Kara smiled and patted her stomach contentedly. Shakey’s did not, in fact, kick them out—of course that was just because Cat offered to pay the full price for the seven pizzas Kara and James had put away. Kara thought she’d remember the exasperated look on Cat’s face as she handed over her credit card to the manager while James and Lucy howled with laughter for the rest of her life. 

“Maybe,” Cat continued, putting the car in park. “We can even squeeze an actual date in this weekend.” There was a tiny smile playing at the edge of Cat’s lips. 

In the week after she and Cat had kissed, they’d pretty much maintained their normal routine. The only deviation was the fact that Kara now ate lunch with Cat, James, and Lucy—a byproduct of the fact that Winn hadn’t really been receptive to her new relationship—and that study time now included some pretty serious make-out sessions up in Cat’s bedroom. 

But to go out on an actual date? With Cat Grant? Dinner, or a movie—the thought made Kara giddy.  “I’d love that.” 

Cat wrapped a hand around Kara’s scarf again, smiling. “Great. Tomorrow, then.” Cat leaned in close. “It’s a date.”

Kara eagerly pressed their lips together, savoring the feeling. Kissing Cat was unlike anything Kara had ever experienced on Earth, making Kara’s heart pound and the blood rush in her ears. The next thing Kara knew, she was leaning over the middle console between them, her hands grasping Cat’s face while Cat’s hands pulled at her shoulders. One kiss with Cat turned into two…which turned into three and four.  She was so engrossed that she missed the sounds of approaching footsteps until there was a knock at the car window.

Kara gasped in surprise, jumping so badly that she straightened up and hit her head on the top of Cat’s car. There was a loud bump—Kara was pretty sure she just dented the roof. “Oof!” Kara remembered to feign injury.

“Shit,” Cat muttered, jerking away from her and wiping her mouth. 

Kara turned in her seat to see Eliza bent over, smiling at them outside the window. Kara’s stomach twisted with panic. While she may have been keeping Alex updated on what had been going on between them, Kara had neglected to tell Eliza that she was dating someone.

When Eliza saw that she had Kara’s attention she gestured to the window. Obediently, Kara rolled down the glass window. 

“Eliza,” she greeted her foster mother. 

“Kara, dear,” Eliza said sweetly. “You’re not going to introduce me to your friend?”

Kara knew that her face must have been beet red as she slid down slightly in her seat. “Eliza, this is Cat Grant. Cat, Eliza.” Kara gestured between them. 

“A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Danvers,” Cat said, a tight smile on her face. 

“Cat Grant? As in the same Cat Grant you’ve been tutoring for two months?” Kara could hear the real question Eliza was getting at.  _ How long has this been going on? _

“Um, yes,” Kara said, pushing up her glasses. “But we’ve just—I mean, we haven’t—”

“I think what Kara means to say is that,” Cat jumped in. “This is...new.”  Kara nodded emphatically. 

Eliza took that in for a moment. “Alright, well, it’s getting pretty late,” she hinted. 

“Of course.” Cat nodded. “Kara, I’ll text you later?”

“Yeah, later,” Kara said, detaching her seat belt and vacating the car. Kara closed the door carefully, standing awkwardly next to Eliza. 

“The dent,” Eliza whispered, her eyes looking at a noticeable bump in the roof of the car that was mysteriously the same shape as Kara’s head.  

“Crap,” Kara murmured, her anxiety flaring. 

“Give me a moment.” Eliza leaned in to the still open window. “Cat,” she said, probably louder than necessary. Kara took the hint and placed her hand on the roof of the car while Eliza had Cat distracted and very carefully smoothed out the dented metal. “I’d love to do a proper introduction with you in the daytime. Say, dinner tomorrow? Five p.m.?”

Kara stepped back into Cat’s line of sight as they traded a glance. There went any hope of their first date. With no idea how to get out of, Kara shot Cat a halfhearted shrug.

“Dinner tomorrow sounds nice,” Cat said finally. 

“Great,” Eliza smiled, straightening up. “See you tomorrow, then. Say goodnight, Kara.”

“Bye.” Kara waved. 

Eliza stood outside with her as Cat started up her car and drove away, waiting until the car was far enough before rounding on her. “I think you have some explaining to do, young lady.” She sounded equal parts amused and stern, an observation that gave Kara hope she wouldn’t be in too much trouble. 

“Sorry, Eliza.”

“How much does your sister know?” Eliza asked, heading for the house. 

Kara followed her slowly. “Nothing, I swear!”

“Now, why don’t I believe that?” Eliza shot her a wry smile. “Well, come on. There’s some ice cream in the freezer and I want the whole story.”

Kara shot her a grateful smile as she jogged up to the house and went to go fetch a couple of spoons. 


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for Cat to have dinner with the Danvers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to give a big thank you to everyone who has been reading and commenting on this fic. I read them all and you give me so much encouragement.

Kara flipped through the book they were supposed to be reading for English class, copying quotes she would need for her essay later. She was only doing her homework to pass the time because Eliza had banished her from the kitchen after she’d started picking at the food. She had just finished outlining the paper when the door to the room burst open.   
  
“You couldn’t have kept your girlfriend a secret for another week?” Alex demanded, dropping her bag on the floor of their bedroom. “I have finals coming up.”   
  
“Alex!” Kara exclaimed, dropping her book bounding over to pull her sister into a hug. “I can’t believe Eliza called you. I tried to tell her that you knew nothing about it.”   
  
“Yeah, mom didn’t buy it.” Alex chuckled when Kara pouted. “But, still, I wanted to be here. It’s not every day your little sister introduces her girlfriend to the family.”   
  
“Is she still my girlfriend if we haven’t even gone on a date yet?”   
  
“You haven’t even gone on a date yet?” Alex’s eyebrows shot up.    
  
“Well, we’ve been out a couple of times with James and Lucy,” Kara started, sitting on the edge of her bed and picking at the comforter. “And we were supposed to be going out tonight except—”   
  
“Except that mom busted you and insisted on family dinner night instead,” Alex finished for her, smiling wryly.   
  
“Yeah.” Kara grimaced.   
  
“You guys have known each other for a couple of months now, though. I’d say it counts.”   
  
“Thanks, Alex,” Kara said, relieved. “I really am glad you’re here. I’ve wanted you to meet Cat for a while now, too.”   
  
“Oh, I have been just dying to meet her, too,” Alex said mischievously.   
  
“You’re going to be nice, right?” Alex only laughed. Kara was going to try and cajole her sister into agreeing to be nice when she heard the sound of Cat’s car pulling into the driveway. “She’s here!”   
  
Kara took off down the stairs with Alex at her heels. She made a beeline for the front door and she could hear Alex diverting to the kitchen to tell Eliza. She’d made it to the door as Cat was locking her car with a press of a button, carrying a pastry box.   
  
“Hey.” Kara stepped out to the porch. “What’s in the box?”   
  
Cat gave her a quick kiss and Kara felt butterflies in her stomach. “It’s impolite to go to dinner without something to offer the host so I brought dessert.”   
  
“What is it?”   
  
“Chocolate pecan pie.” Kara groaned with longing but Cat pulled the box out of her reach. “Nuh uh! Not until later.” Cat made for the door.   
  
“Uh, one sec.” She stepped surreptitiously between Cat and the door. “I just wanted to let you know that my sister made it down today. So, she’ll be joining us for dinner.”   
  
“Ah…” Cat took a small step back and Kara felt a stab of fear that Cat would want to leave—just get in her car and go. Cat must have seen it on her face because the next second had rolled her eyes. “Well, at least I’m getting the ‘meet the family’ done all at once.”   
  
Relieved, Kara smiled brightly and opened the door, ushering Cat inside. Unsurprisingly, Eliza was waiting for them. Kara closed the door and took Cat’s purse and the dessert she was carrying as Eliza welcomed her.   
  
“It’s so nice to see you again, Cat,” Eliza said, holding her hand out to shake.   
  
“Thank you for having me, Mrs. Danvers.” Cat took her hand, the picture of etiquette.   
  
“Please, call me Eliza.” She smiled pleasantly. “I’m so glad you could join us for dinner.”   
  
“I hope you don’t mind, I brought some dessert for after.” Cat pointed to the box in Kara’s hands.   
  
Eliza looked impressed. “Well, that’s very thoughtful of you.”   
  
“Hey.” They turned in time to see Alex strolling out of the kitchen. “Bread’s all set.”   
  
“Great, you’re here! Cat, this is my sister, Alex,” Kara said, gesturing from one to the other. Alex wore a tight smile as she sized Cat up and Cat straightened her posture and tilted her head up to meet Alex’s gaze. “Alex, this is Cat. My, uh—”   
  
Alex spoke over her and held out her hand for Cat to shake as Eliza had done. “So, you’re the girlfriend.”   
  
Internally, Kara quailed at what her sister had said. Talking about it in their bedroom was one thing, but calling Cat her girlfriend to her face when they hadn’t discussed it? Yeah, no. Except that Kara didn’t seem to have to worry as Cat stepped forward, taking Alex’s proffered hand.   
  
“Yeah, that’s me.”   
  
Alex gave an approving nod and looked at Eliza. “By the way, mom, the oven timer went off. I think dinner’s ready.”   
  
“Oh! Thank you Alex.” Eliza held out her hands for the pie. “Here, why don’t I take this into the kitchen for later.”   
  
“It’s chocolate pecan.” Cat smirked. “If you don’t take it from Kara now, there might not be any left later.”   
  
“Hey!” Kara complained while they all laughed at her expense.   
  
Eliza disappeared into the kitchen and Alex hesitated for a moment before following. Cat relaxed and took Kara’s hand as they walked into the kitchen.   
  
“I hope you like lasagna,” Eliza said, grabbing a pot holder from a drawer.   
  
“Here, uh—” Kara was about to wave her foster mother away and pull the hot pan out of the oven herself until she remembered that she wasn’t supposed to be using her powers. Grabbing a piping hot metal pan without some kind of protection would be bad.   
  
“Why don’t you get the plates, dear.” Eliza pulled the dish out of the oven.   
  
“Right.” Kara crossed the kitchen and took down four plates, stopping by the silverware drawer to grab a handful of forks and knives.   
  
“Do you need any help?” Cat asked.   
  
Kara shook her head. “No, let’s just have a seat.” She  led the way to the dining room table with Cat following behind her. So far, so good.   


* * *

Cat cut delicately into her pasta and took a bite, relishing in the idea that her mother would shudder if she knew that Cat was eating store frozen lasagna. Honestly, she didn’t know what her mother was complaining about; it tasted the same as anything she’d ever made. As she chewed, Cat glanced at each of the Danvers.   
  
Kara was seated immediately to her right, demolishing her fourth piece of lasagna. Kara’s sister, Alex, had finished eating first and was updating Eliza and Kara about her exploits at school. Eliza Danvers was sipping from a glass of water, watching her girls with a kind smile.   
  
Despite the initial intimidation Cat felt after being caught in her car the previous night, Eliza had been more than welcoming towards her tonight. It was easy to see that the woman adored her daughters, a fact that brought her own relationship with her mother into sharper contrast. She wondered what her life would have looked like if her mother had acted as Eliza did—or even if her father hadn’t died. Cat took a drink of her soda to clear her mind. It was ridiculous to waste her time on such thoughts; there were no changing things now.   
  
“So, Cat, what are your plans for after high school?” Eliza asked once Alex was finished with her story.   
  
“Oh, you know. College and an internship at a prestigious newspaper, followed by my big break and then being a lead reporter before I moving onto television and becoming a household name until I can establish my own brand.” She shrugged. “The usual.”   
  
“Wow, it sounds like you have everything planned out.” Eliza’s eyes widened. 

“Just the basics.” Cat knew what she wanted and she wouldn’t stop until it was a reality.   
  
“Ambitious,” Alex said, throwing a glance towards her sister. “So if you discovered something—something big—you wouldn’t keep it to yourself?   
  
“Alex.” Eliza spoke politely but Cat could detect a warning in her tone.   
  
“Well, why would I? If there’s some story that I can get my hands on, I’m taking that chance to make my mark on the world.” Tension had filled the room but she wasn’t sure why. She glanced over at Kara but saw that she was looking at her plate. “Are you okay?” she whispered.   
  
Kara took a deep breath and looked up, giving Cat a reassuring smile. “I’m fine. I’m just disappointed that I don’t have my future nearly as worked out as you do.”   
  
Cat shrugged. “You know me; a plan for everything. But if you let me put together that portfolio of your art…”

Color rose in Kara’s face and she fiddled with her glasses. “I doubt gathering my art in a binder is going to help me figure out what I’m going to be doing a few years from now.”   
  
“Don’t be ridiculous, dear,” Eliza said. “You’ve always had a wonderful talent for painting.”   
  
“Did you see the one she made me for my birthday?” Cat asked. Both Eliza and Alex shook their heads. “Hold on, I have a picture of it on my phone.” She grabbed the phone from her pocket and unlocked the screen. Kara’s painting was already the background photo but Cat wanted to bring up the picture in its entirety.   
  
“Uh, Cat,” Kara whispered. “Maybe this isn’t the time.”   
  
“What? Why?” Cat paused, glancing over at Kara. Kara kept glancing between her family and Cat’s phone, eyes huge with worry. Was she embarrassed?   
  
“Come on, Kara,” Alex teased. “Don’t be so modest.”   
  
“It’s so incredible that she can come up with something so…otherworldly just off of the top of her head!” Cat handed over the phone and Kara groaned.   
  
“Otherworldly?” Eliza repeated, taking the phone gingerly.   
  
Cat looked at her questioningly but Kara just took a deep breath and shook her head. Obviously, there was something going on between the Danvers that Cat was missing. Cat’s eyes narrowed as she watched the other two Danvers examine the picture on her phone.   
  
Eliza squinted at the phone, and smiled wryly at Kara. “Well, you’ve certainly improved since last time you painted one of these.”

“Thanks, Eliza,” Kara sighed.    
  
Alex looked questioning at her mother and held her hand out for the phone. When she caught sight of the photo, the elder Danvers sister sighed and returned the phone back to Cat without commenting. Cat tucked her phone back into her pocket. 

Eliza pushed abruptly back from the table. “Well, I have some work to get done so I’ll let you three have some fun.” She grabbed her plate and flashed them all a strained smile. “If you need anything, I’ll be in my office. Thank you for joining us for dinner, Cat.” 

“Thank you,” Cat managed, stunned by Eliza’s sudden departure. She leaned towards Kara. “Is she okay?”

“Uh, yeah. She just has a big project at the lab...” Kara glanced quickly at her sister. “So, should we watch a movie?” Alex shrugged and Kara, taking that as an affirmative, grabbed Cat’s empty plate along with her own and raced them to the sink. “Do you want to go pick a movie, Cat?”

“Sure.” Cat stood, pushing her chair in.    
  
“Great!” Alex said suddenly, grabbing Kara’s arm. “The movies are in the cabinet under the tv. Kara, can you help me cut the dessert?” Without giving Kara a chance to answer, Alex towed her sister out of the room. 

Whatever Cat had expected from the evening, this wasn’t it. Eliza and Alex had been great at first but had cooled during the discussion about college and Kara’s painting. Cat still couldn’t make sense of it. The sound of angry whispering reached her ears.   
  
Cat knew that eavesdropping on your girlfriend’s private conversation with her sister was a big relationship no-no but there was definitely something fishy going on. Cat pressed herself against the wall in the hallway outside of the kitchen.   
  
“Really, Kara? Argo City?” Alex hissed. 

“It’s not that big of a deal.” There was the sound of cabinet doors opening.    
  
Alex sighed. “Kara, you’re not being careful! Mom’s obviously pissed.”   
  
“It’s not like I told her what it really was,” Kara said. 

Cat frowned. She didn’t recognize the city Alex mentioned. She tucked away the name to research later.   
  
“It’s still dangerous, Kara. I mean, come on, a reporter?”

“What’s the big deal? Kal is dating a reporter, too.” 

Cat bristled. What was this family’s deal with reporters? And Kara’s mention of the name Kal. Was that her cousin that lived in Metropolis?   
  
“Your cousin’s an idiot,” Alex quipped. Kara didn’t respond in anyway that Cat could hear. “Does she make you happy?” Alex asked finally.    
  
“Happier than I thought possible since I’ve been here,” Kara admitted.

“Well, I guess she’s got that going for her,” Alex said.    
  
“Do you think Eliza will stay mad at me for a while?”   
  
“Don’t worry about mom. I’ll talk her around later. She wants you to be happy, too. Just be careful.”

“I know,” Kara said.    
  
Keeping quiet, Cat tiptoed into the living room. Opening the cabinet that Alex had directed her to, Cat scanned the selection of movies and picked one at random. Obviously, whatever the Danvers were hiding, it had to do with Kara. Cat wished she had more information until she remembered what Kara had said about how Cat made her feel. Her curiosity quickly turned to guilt. 

Everything really came down to only one question: did Cat trust Kara? Cat stood, the dvd case clutched tightly in her hands. They’d only known each other for a few months but Kara had quickly become one of the most important people in her life. She had trouble believing the girl that could create such beautiful works of art, who smiled freely, and genuinely cared for others would be a part of something bad. 

Cat decided to push the mystery out of her mind.  _ You never know, _ Cat thought. Maybe Kara would end up explaining things to her later. In the meantime, she would just have to exercise a bit of trust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was much more difficult than I anticipated. I started it in August. Yikes. So you have no idea how happy I am to be done with it. 
> 
> As for what's coming next: -I am putting all my other fics on hold to complete the last several chapters of this fic! I estimate we are 4 or 5 chapters away from the end. Once those chapters are finished I will release them every other day or so until it is complete. Thank you to everyone for hanging in there!


	17. Chapter 17

“Projects are coming up, people!” Mrs. Goodman smirked and held up a ragged baseball cap. “You don’t get to slack off just because Thanksgiving is coming up this week. In this hat, you will pull out a date.” There was a collective groan from the class. “Whatever date you get is when you will be expected to present. They range from December seventh through the eighteenth. There will be no switching, no pushing it back. The only way you’ll be able to reschedule is with a coroner’s note so plan on being here on your assigned day.”

Kara perked up, sitting up in her chair while the teacher began making her way between the aisles of students. Beside her, Cat was typing out a text message. Their teacher approached and Kara discreetly cleared her throat.

Cat hit the send button and slipped her phone into her pocket. “Thanks.”

Mrs. Goodman offered the hat to each pair of students in turn until she reached Cat and Kara’s desks. “Miss Danvers.”

Kara selected a scrap of paper and Cat leaned in. “What date did we get?”

“December fifteenth,” Kara said, reading the slip.

“Not bad.” Cat shrugged. “Not like it really matters. We’re pretty much done already.” The bell rang and the sound of twenty-five chairs scratching against the linoleum floor erupted around them.

“We should still practice our presentation, though.” Kara stuffed her binder into her backpack.

“My place?” Cat stood, pushing her chair in.

“Sure.” Kara shouldered her bag and they left the classroom. “So what are your plans for thanksgiving?” she asked, glancing sidelong at Cat as they walked down the hallway.

“Every year my mother drags me to the house of one of her author friends. It’s always boring and pretentious. I swear—my mother only brings me so that I can drive her home after she gets sloshed.” Cat grimaced.

“I’m sorry.” There wasn’t a part of Cat’s description that sounded fun.

Cat shrugged. “It’s fine. The food’s usually pretty good and my mother is too hungover to argue about me going out shopping the rest of the weekend. What about you?”

“We usually just do dinner. Eliza and Alex don’t really have any other relatives.” Holidays had been a subdued affair ever since Jeremiah died. That was something that Kara could sympathize with—the holidays took on a painful edge when you were still mourning. She longed to invite Cat to have dinner with them—anything would have to be better than what Cat had described—but she hesitated, unsure if Eliza would appreciate the extra guest. “Do you want to do something later in the weekend?”

“I could use some company while I shop. I was planning to hit the mall early on Friday.”

“Doesn’t the mall get kind of crazy for Black Friday?” Kara had heard Alex tell the story about the time in a Toy’s R Us where Jeremiah wasn’t looking while a mother with a stroller nearly mowed her down.

“That’s why it would be nice to have some help.” Cat wrapped her arms around Kara’s waist and pressed a kiss the spot just below her ear.

Kara’s stomach did a somersault. “You don’t play fair.”

Cat grinned. “Is that a yes?”

“Yes.” Kara rolled her eyes.

“Great! It’s a date.” Cat squeezed her round the middle and placed a swift kiss to Kara’s lips. “I’ll pick you around six a.m. on friday!”

Kara sputtered. “Six? But the stores don’t even open until eight! We have to show up early just to shop?”

Cat clicked her tongue. “Oh, Kara. This isn’t shopping. This is war.”

“What have I gotten myself into?” Kara groaned.

“See you after class!” Cat sashayed down the hall, turning the corner and leaving Kara blushing amidst the rest of the student body.

 

* * *

 

Kara let the shopping bags go from her grip, letting them fall to the floor of Cat’s room with a dull thud. Taking two steps forward, Kara let herself fall face down on Cat’s bed and groaned. She wasn't physically tired, her powers saw to that, but keeping up with Cat without exposing herself was just as exhausting.

“It wasn’t that bad, you big baby,” Cat scoffed, retrieving the first bag from the floor.

Kara rolled over onto her back. “We were shopping for thirteen hours!”

“That’s nothing. Last year, I was up in Metropolis for Black Friday and I didn’t stop shopping until Sunday.”

“Never again,” Kara whimpered.

She lost track of how many stores they went into—Cat’s only requirement for visiting a store was whether or not there was a ‘Sale’ sign in the window. Kara felt like a pack mule as they’d trudged from store after store with their multitudes of purchases.

“Hey, I fed you!” Cat started placing her purchases into the closet.

Kara rubbed her stomach through her shirt. “Okay, fine. That restaurant was good.”

“Glad you think so; since I’m pretty sure we’re banned from ever eating there again.” Cat started dumping her purchases onto the bed.

“Hey!” Kara sat up, resting her weight on her elbows. “It’s not my fault they ran out of bread! If they advertise all you can eat, it should be all you can eat!” The only reason she’d eaten her way through three baskets of bread because she’d been starving and they’d taken so long on their meals.

Cat laughed. “You’re right. Plus, it’s not like I didn’t leave a nice tip.”

“That is true.” Kara returned to lying flat on the bed.

“Where are the bags with your stuff?” Cat asked, turning in a semi circle.

“My stuff is in that Nordstrom's bag.” Kara pointed to the bag closest to her.

“What did you get for Eliza again?” Cat grabbed the bag in question and grunted. “Heavy.”

“I got her a blouse,” Kara said. “But I put Winn’s present in there, too.”

“Right, that remote controlled Bb-8.” Cat laughed, shaking her head. “How you guessed that jackass was hiding a second box under her other purchases is beyond me.”

“Lucky guess,” Kara said, trying not to look guilty.

The comic book shop had a limit of one Bb-8 model per customer but some jerk had decided to try and sneak to the checkout line with two. One quick look with her x-ray vision had scored her the last toy in the store. Kara would never have chosen to use her powers to help her shop but things between her and Winn had been so weird lately. He hadn’t stopped talking about The Force Awakens since the last trailer had come out and Kara was hoping that the present would open the door to mend the rift that had developed between them.

“I still can’t believe you only bought two things,” Cat said as she rifled through the many tubes of lipstick she’d bought at Sephora. “It’s thirty-percent off, Kara! That never happens!”

“I only have a few people to shop for and I already got Alex’s gift online,” Kara reminded her.

“Right, that science thing…” Cat snapped her fingers, searching for the words.

“A microscope attachment for her phone,” Kara reminded her. Cat scoffed. “Hey, she’s wanted one for a while!” Kara decided that Cat didn’t need to know about the tiny parcel in her jacket which housed the delicate gold necklace that Kara bought while Cat was in the department store’s dressing room.

“Hey, Kara?” Cat asked after a while.

“Hm?” Kara hummed in response.

“What’s Argo City?” Cat turned to look at her, her brow furrowed.

Kara froze. “How—I mean—where’d you hear that?”

“When I went to dinner at your house,” Cat explained. “I accidently heard you talking to your sister.” She sat down on the edge of the bed.

Kara remembered. Alex had recognized the painting Kara had made Cat from the small sketches and stories Kara had told them about krypton. It was why Eliza had excused herself from dinner and why Kara had gotten a stern reminder that she was supposed to be a normal, human girl. Kara had complained that she was being careful but apparently she hadn’t been careful enough.

“It’s nothing. Alex was just—” Kara leapt to her feet. She really didn’t want to have to lie to her girlfriend. “Cat, can we—can we just forget it?”

“Kara?” Cat asked, reaching out for her.

Kara allowed Cat to hold her hand. “It has to do with my family, okay? Can we just—please, I need to just—” She had no idea how to get Cat to drop it.

“Okay. Calm down.” Cat pulled until Kara was seated beside her on the bed. “We don’t have to talk about it.”

Kara drew in a deep breath. “Thanks.”

“Yeah.” Cat nodded, transferring Kara’s hand until she cradled it in her lap.

They sat in silence despite the fact that Kara could tell that Cat still burning with curiosity. “It’s getting late. I should be getting home.”

Cat’s eyes raked over her face. “I’ll get my keys.”

Kara stood, grabbing the bag with her gifts as Cat led the way down to the car. Kara wordlessly climbed into the passenger’s seat while Cat secured her seatbelt and pulled out of the garage. The silence lasted the entire drive, filling Kara with anxiety until they pulled up to her house.

“I’ll call you tomorrow?” Kara’s hand lingered on the door handle, her attention trained on Cat’s face.

Cat sighed and turned to Kara with a small smile. “Of course.” She leaned over the middle and gave Kara a kiss.

The affection was reassuring and Kara returned the kiss with fervor, trying to pour everything she couldn’t say into it. _I’m sorry. I don’t like keeping things from you. I wish I didn’t have to hide_. “Goodnight, Cat.”

“Goodnight, Kara.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay everyone. We are getting into the home stretch for this fic. The good news is that we still have 6 chapters left and I have most of those written. This story will be my focus for the next several weeks as I want to wrap it up soon. As always, thank you for reading and sticking with me :) you all rock


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to post this on Saturday but I thought that would be too mean. Enjoy!

Cat nodded along absently to whatever story Perry White was telling them at the lunch table. In reality, Cat’s attention was fixed across the cafeteria where Kara was picking apart a sandwich. Her girlfriend was sitting with Winn, the two of them talking amicably. Despite the invitation Cat had extended for all of them to have lunch together, Winn was still reluctant to be in the same general vicinity as Cat’s friends and Kara didn’t want him to eat alone.

The fact that Kara was doing anything other than devouring that sandwich was a red flag, another sign that things had been off since that night in Cat’s bedroom. Kara had been distant lately, the past two weeks flying by in a series of missed study sessions and poorly crafted excuses. When they did meet, Kara was careful to keep their conversations clear of topics like her family or her past, and when pressed, Kara’s answers would become hesitant and monosyllabic.

Cat stabbed her fork into her salad, spearing a cucumber. All the tiptoeing around the subject was wearing on her. She wished that Kara would just trust her.

“Cat, are you even listening?” Perry waved a hand in front of her face.

Cat blinked, trying to remember what he’d been babbling about. It was mostly likely something about football. “Let me guess, the last game?” Cat fixed her gaze on him, raising an eyebrow.

Perry huffed. “Okay, so maybe you were listening. Anyways…” He continued on.

When the lunch bell rang, it was a relief. The scraping of chairs against the ground filled the room as a hundred or so students rushed to throw out their trash and get to class. There were more students inside than usual, everyone staying indoors because they were in the middle of another rainstorm. Cat watched as Kara tossed her trash—the sandwich had eventually been eaten—so engrossed in her spying that she nearly walked right into James.

“Careful!” He steadied her at the elbow.

“Sorry, James. I wasn’t looking.” Cat shrugged.

“That’s okay. I was actually looking for you.” His eyes darted to the few students that were idling about.

“Oh yeah?” Cat interest was piqued immediately. She had explained her article about the school’s library to James during their last newspaper meeting in hopes that he’d be able to take a couple of photos of the construction site if she could figure out a way to sneak in there. To her surprise, James had offered to help her.

“Well, I have good news and I have bad news.” James reached into his pocket and pulled out a brass key. “The good news is that Lucy was able to swipe this from the guidance office during her free period.”

Cat snatched the key, hiding it in her jacket pocket. “And the bad news?”

He grimaced. “I can’t help you any time soon.”

“What?” Cat lamented.

“Sorry. My grandma fell during thanksgiving and now she’s moving in with my mom and me,” he explained. “She lives a couple hours away so we’ll be going to pick her up tonight and moving her in all week.”

“Oh,” Cat said, waving off his apology. “That’s not anything to be sorry about, James. Of course your family should come first. It just means I’ll be alone tonight.”

His brow furrowed. “You’re going tonight?” He glanced out the window to the torrent of rain that was falling outside. “Can you take someone else with you? Like Kara, maybe?”

“It’s not that complicated, James. I have the key.” She patted her pocket. “All I need is a few good shots of the incomplete repairs and then I can get out of there. I’ll have the key back to Lucy before the first bell rings tomorrow.”

“You better not get into any trouble,” he told her, smirking.

“Me?” Cat asked sarcastically. “Never.”

He laughed. “I have to go. I don’t want to be late for class. See you later, Cat.”

“Bye.” Cat turned to grab her bag just as Kara walked up beside her.

“Hey,” Kara said, holding onto the straps of her backpack.

“Kara.” Cat greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. As much as it irked her to be kept in the dark, she didn’t want to end their relationship. “Walk me to class?” she asked, inclining her head towards the corridor.

“Yeah.” Kara nodded, reaching down to intertwine their hands. They had nearly reached Cat’s classroom when Kara turned to her. “Cat, I need to say something.”

“Yes?” Cat prompted, her heart racing. Was Kara going to address the elephant in the room?

“Cat, I know what you’re planning to do tonight and I think it’s a bad idea,” she said finally, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. “You could get into big trouble if you’re caught breaking into the school after hours.”

That caught her off guard. “How did you—was James blabbing it around the school?” She’d thought he’d known that it was a sensitive subject.

Kara shook her head. “No. I just overheard—” The two minute bell rang, shattering the moment.

“We should go,” Cat said, pulling away.

“Can you just promise me you’ll be careful tonight?” Kara asked, pushing her glasses up.

“I can try. But the only way to be sure would be if you came along.” Cat was sure that Kara would refuse—would use another of the flimsy excuses she’d come up with the past several days.

Kara squared her shoulders. “What time?”

Cat smirked. “Does eleven work for you?” 

* * *

Kara opened her bedroom window, pausing to listen for her foster mother’s whereabouts. Eliza was in her office, a steady rhythm of keystrokes audible to her superhearing. Kara glanced quickly to her bed where she’d piled Alex’s pillows under the covers. Eliza probably wouldn’t come looking for her—she didn’t have a reason to think she’d sneak out now that Alex was away at college—but it didn’t hurt to be sure.

Satisfied with the job she’d done, Kara ducked under the windowsill and crouched on the roof beneath her window, carefully making her way to the edge. When she was close enough, she jumped to the ground, landing in the yard. She didn’t bother hiding any longer since Eliza’s office looked out to the opposite side of the house and went about her usual path to school.

Kara hoped this excursion wouldn't take long. She wasn’t excited about breaking into the school—the Danvers had warned her about doing anything illegal since one arrest could blow her cover—but after everything she’d put Cat through lately, Kara felt she owed her. They’d planned to meet by the locker rooms at eleven and when Kara jogged up the steps to the school, she saw that Cat’s car was missing from the parking lot. It was beginning to rain again as she approached, her jacket getting a light misting. She checked the time on her phone and saw that it was only a few minutes after eleven.

Cat appeared from behind the locker room door, waving her over. “There you are!”

“You’re here already? I didn’t see your car,” Kara said, looking back towards the parking lot. “How did you get the door open?”

“I parked around the corner. Did you think I was going to leave my car nearby in case this goes sideways?” Cat grabbed Kara by the arm and directed her inside. “And I was the last one to leave the locker room today. I just put a little tape on the lock.”

“It was that easy?”

“Kara this is a high school, not the Louvre,” Cat said, smirking. “The most we have to worry about is not setting off the fire alarm.

“Any, yet, you parked around the corner,” Kara shot back. Cat stuck her tongue out at her and Kara stifled a giggle.

They left the locker room, silently heading for the library. It was quiet; the only sound was of the rain as it beat down on the roof as the storm picked up. All of the lights were out so Cat pulled out her phone to use as a flashlight. Other than the fact that they were being careful not to make too much noise, Cat didn’t seem overly perturbed by their situation.

“You don’t find this a little nerve-wracking?” Kara asked, whispering. “We are officially trespassing.”

“What’s life without a little adventure?” Cat replied as they reached the library doors. There was a lock on the door but Cat pulled out a key.

“You and I have very different ideas about what constitutes an adventure,” Kara quipped.

Cat snorted a laugh as the door swung open. Kara’s senses were assaulted with the scent mildew and plaster and she resisted the urge to cover her nose. From the way Cat’s nose crinkled, Kara could tell she smelled it, too.

“God, you’d think they could crack a window. Would you look at this?” Cat scowled, handing Kara her phone. “Here, hold the light while I take a few pictures.” Kara took the phone as Cat retrieved a camera from her bag. “God, this is worse than I thought it would be.” Cat uncapped the camera. “And while all this is going on, the school is spending money on a new banner to honor the football team making playoffs.”

The rows of bookcases were still in place, although there were huge sections of books that were missing from the rows closest to them—presumably the books that could be saved. Pieces of the carpet had been torn up, concrete was visible where the pieces were missing. The walls were bare of their usual posters and charts, with sections unpainted from where they were applying new drywall.

Kara followed Cat around wordlessly as she took pictures of the damage. It really was a shame that the entire room was in such disorder—the previous year, Kara and Winn had practically lived in the library.

“Is that…oh my god. It’s a hole in the roof!” Cat exclaimed.

Cat was right; there was a hole in the roof where the ceiling had begun to cave in, the entire thing was being supported by metal scaffolding and covered with only a blue tarp. She could feel a chill from the air outside as they got closer.

Kara stepped started forward and her foot sunk unnaturally into the carpet. “That’s gross. It must have flooded in here with the rain.”

The sound of the shutter closing sounded. Cat examined the photo. “It’s too dark,” she mumbled. “Kara, shine the light up here and let’s try that again.”

Kara did as she was told, aiming it to add some extra light to the flash. Cat raised the camera, pressing the shutter and activating the flash. From in the darkness, two bright spots appeared. Cat lowered the camera and squinted into the darkness. “Is that a raccoon?”

“I think so…” Kara squinted, her eyesight better than Cat’s despite the lead infused glasses that obscured her powers. She could make out the edges of the animal’s face.

Whatever it was, it didn’t like being disturbed. With a high pitched screech, the raccoon leaped from its hiding spot, heading right for them. Kara jumped to one side while Cat covered her face with a shriek. It landed on top of a bookcase, toppling it into the metal framework that was keeping the ceiling level.

All at once, the ceiling collapsed and metal and wood rained down on them. Kara’s eyes cut over to Cat, who was right on the path of the falling wreckage. Without thinking, Kara threw herself in front of her, shielding her girlfriend. The weight of the wreckage forced them to the ground and Kara ended up kneeling over Cat, bracing herself and the weight of the materials above her with her hands.

“Oh my god, Kara!” Cat shouted, succeeding in turning carefully on the ground. She ran her hands over every inch of Kara’s body that could reach, searching for injuries. “How are you—?” Cat was breathless, her eyes wide.

“Are you okay?” Kara asked, grunting with the effort of holding up the rubble.

Cat took a steadying breath. “Yes, I’m fine.”

Kara sighed in relief. “Good. Let me see if I can get us out of this.”

“No! Don’t move! You’re probably hurt. I need to call the ambulance,” Cat exclaimed, reaching for her pockets. “Damn, I don’t know where my phone went, or the camera.”

Kara tried to shift the debris off of her shoulders but the metal groaned, sending more rubble onto them. It would be impossible to move without finding something else to support the weight and while Kara could survive that, there was no telling what it would do to Cat. “We’re stuck.”

“There’s no way someone missed all that noise,” Cat said, nodding to herself. “Someone will come and they will get us out.”

Kara bit her lip. She knew that Cat was trying to reassure her but the idea of someone finding them was worse. They would want to know how she was able to keep all that weight off of them without getting crushed. She had to get them out of there without exposing herself to any more people.

Glancing around the small space they had to work with, Kara spotted a broken metal support beam and got an idea. It would mean definitively revealing herself to Cat but the alternative was worse. “Pull my glasses off.”

“What?”

“My glasses,” Kara repeated. “Get them off.” Cat hastened to do as she asked, taking the frames with shaky hands. Kara turned her head to where the broken metal met, hitting it with a blast of her heat vision. Cat gasped. When the metal had properly fused, Kara finally succeeded in shifting her burden without putting Cat in danger again. “Okay, quick, go!” Cat scrambled to safety and Kara followed as soon as she was able.

Cat was staring at her. “Oh my god. Kara…you—you’re like him.”

She’d known that Cat would put that together after she used her heat vision. “Cat, I—” There was no way out of this; Cat had already put the pieces together. She took a step forward, trying to think of something, anything, to say but stopped when she saw Cat take a step backwards.

Kara’s heart sank. Cat was afraid of her; there was no way to salvage this. She did the only thing she could think of. She ran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who is still reading. And to all those that leave me comments and kudos, they are very appreciated. See you soon! :D


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the positive reviews on the reveal! Here's the next chapter!

Cat stared at the empty spot in front of her. Just a moment ago, Kara had been standing there looking terrified and disheveled but then she blinked and her girlfriend—her alien girlfriend—was gone. Cat looked over to the metal that Kara had fused together with her eyes and ran a hand over the rod. It was still warm.

Cat had seen heat vision before, Superman was famous for it. The famous alien refugee from the now-destroyed planet Krypton gained powers thanks to Earth’s yellow sun. Heat vision, superstrength, ice breath, and flight; did those things apply to Kara as well?

In the distance, Cat heard the sound of sirens approaching. Snapping into action, Cat shifted through the debris until she was able to retrieve her phone and camera—which was in pieces—and abandoned the library. Sprinting across the school, Cat exited through the locker room, not stopping until she reached her car. Cat buckled herself into her seatbelt and focused on returning her breathing to normal.

As the stitch in her side lessened and the adrenaline she’d been experiencing began to ebb away, Cat realized that she was still clutching Kara’s glasses in her left hand, causing a painful throbbing in her arm. Tossing the frames into the passenger’s seat, Cat saw that there was a tear in her jacket, blood staining the fabric.

“Crap,” she cursed, cradling her injured arm against her chest. Going after Kara would have to wait until she was able to check out her arm.

Cradling her arm to her chest, Cat stuffed the car keys into the ignition and started the vehicle. Driving with one hand wasn’t something she made a habit of but she managed to make it home without causing any more damage. She managed to make it into the house despite the fact that she was suddenly exhausted and moving her legs felt like she was walking through wet concrete.

Up in her room, Cat carefully peeled herself out of her clothes, hissing in pain when the fabric separated from the drying blood on her skin. Tossing the clothes to the floor, Cat twisted her arm to see the injury, happy to see that while it was at least three or four inches long, it didn’t seem very deep. The bleeding had slowed, another good sign, and Cat decided that the best way to clean it would be in the shower.

When she was out of the water and dry, she dressed and carefully bandaged her arm. She flexed her fingers and rotated her wrist to make sure the bandages weren’t too tight before sitting at her desk and examining the remnants of her camera. The lens was broken and the flash had snapped off but the memory card was still intact.

Cat sighed. At least the trip hadn’t been a total waste.

She moved onto her phone which had a large crack in the screen. It wasn’t as bad as some of the spider web cracks she’d seen but it was annoying nonetheless. She scrolled through her messages, stopping over Kara’s name.

So Kara’s big secret was that she was an alien. Cat had to admit that out of all the reasons she’d considered for Kara’s reticence, being an extraterrestrial was not among them. As if that information wasn’t enough, the heat vision and incredible strength that Kara had exhibited left no doubt in Cat’s mind that Kara was related to Superman.

But that still left Cat burning with questions. Because Superman had been around for almost ten years and he was supposed to be the last of his kind, sent to earth in a ship as an infant if she recalled correctly. How old had Kara been that she was only now a teenager?

All of these new revelations were a lot to process but there was only one question that really mattered. Did the truth of where Kara came from change how she felt about her? Cat glanced at the canvas hanging on her wall.

Kara painted her landscapes and invited her to see sketches that no one outside her family was privy to. She’d told her that it was out of a book she’d read but Cat couldn’t help but wonder if she was looking at Kara’s home planet. Kara was kind, unwaveringly loyal, and gentle in everything she did. She drew her mother’s face again and again. _So I won’t forget_ , Kara had once told her.

There was no denying that the emotions Kara had expressed when she spoke about her family were true, there was no faking the despair in Kara’s eyes when she’d quietly admitted to Cat that she was an orphan, or the reverence in her voice when she’d pointed to a sketch and announced to Cat that it was her mom.

Cat thought about Kara’s cousin, Superman. He was constantly in the news battling one villain or another. Kara had said that her cousin wasn’t prepared to care for a child but maybe that wasn’t entirely true. Maybe he just couldn’t fit a child into his double life.

She thought back to earlier in the evening. She remembered the panic in Kara’s voice when she was making sure Cat was alright, how she quickly assessed the situation and thought of a plan. She could clearly see the fear in her eyes when Cat had realized what how she’d saved them. Because when it came down to it, Kara had exposed herself to save Cat from being crushed.

No matter what the circumstances, Kara had opened up to Cat about the things that really mattered; her pain, her art, and how much she cared for their relationship. Her decision made, Cat looked back to her phone and started a new message.

_Did you get out okay?_

She hit send. Exhausted, Cat leaned back against her pillows. She would just close her eyes for a few minutes. She was sure that she’d hear when Kara replied. Except that she accidently fell asleep and didn’t wake up until her alarm roused her in the morning.

* * *

Cat scrolled up on her phone, reading all the text messages that she’d sent to Kara in the last hour.

_Where are you?_

_Kara, call me._

_*Please* call me._

_Kara, it’s been hours…_

_Hello?_

_Are you even getting these???_

There were twelve or so more messages along the same vein that Cat had sent since she woke up in the morning. All of the messages had been delivered but none of them had been marked as read. Cat’s elbow throbbed, bringing her injury to the forefront of her mind.

She turned her arm to look at the bandage covering her forearm. It was a relatively innocuous injury for being hurt in an off-limits construction zone. She was just glad that it wasn’t deep enough to need stitches.

Cat turned her attention to the clock above her door frame; it just after seven in the morning. It was late enough that Kara would be probably to be awake but early enough that she wouldn’t get in trouble for answering her phone in case Kara was at school already. Selecting Kara’s profile, Cat hit the call button, disappointment flooding her when it rang three times and went to voicemail again.

“ _Hi. You’ve reached Kara Danvers. I can’t get to the phone right now. Please leave your name and number and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible._ ” The message was followed by a beep.

“Kara, I—” Cat paused. She didn’t want to say anything over the phone that could get Kara into trouble. “Did your phone break again? My screen got cracked last night but it still works.” She sighed. “See you in class, I guess.”

Stowing the phone in her pocket, Cat focused on getting ready for school. She wore a long sleeve to hide her injury, packed all the materials they’d decided to use in their history presentation. She descended the stairs, heading for the kitchen where she set a slice of bread to toast and sliced an avocado. One piece of avocado toast later and Cat was ready to leave.

She opened the garage door, sliding into her car and moving to put her bag on the seat next to her until she spotted Kara’s glasses in the same place that she’d left them the night before. Carefully folding the frames, Cat tucked the glasses into her bag. She had to keep them safe; Kara would need them later.

The drive to school took a little longer than usual, cars on the road driving slower as winter approached. She pulled into her designated parking space, grabbed her bag, and headed straight into the building.

Cat reached her locker, wasting no time in placing her bag inside. She closed the door and startled when she saw James standing on the other side.

“James!” She lightly slapped his arm. “Don’t sneak on me like that.”

“Jumpy today, are we?” He teased, crossing his arms over his chest. He inclined his head towards her, lowering his voice. “Is it because whatever you did last night caused the roof to cave in?”

Cat scowled, looking around to make sure they were alone. “You heard about that?

He shrugged. “Yeah, but the faculty seems to think it was because of the rain, so you’re in the clear. I just need that key.”

Cat let out the breath she’d been holding. “Here”. She slipped the key into James’ hand.

“So you’re not hurt or anything?” James asked, pocketing it. Cat shook her head. “Good, I was worried when I heard what happened. Did you end up going alone?”

“No,” Cat admitted. “Kara was there.” James opened his mouth but Cat cut across him. “She’s fine, too. I just need to find her.”

“You’re both in the same first period, right?” James asked. Cat nodded as the bell rang, pulling his attention. “We’ll talk later!”

“Yeah,” Cat agreed. “But I have to find Kara first.”

She headed for her English class, taking a seat and keeping her eye on the door. Except that the final bell rang and Kara still hadn’t arrived. The teacher called them to attention but Cat was still gaping at the empty seat in the corner of the room. Whatever Cat had expected, it wasn’t for class to start and for Kara to be nowhere in sight.

She hardly paid any attention to the lesson, speeding through the pop quiz the teacher passed out on the book they were studying. When the period was over, Cat stood in the hallway and dialed Kara again.

“ _Hi. You’ve reached Kara Danvers. I can’t get to the phone right now_ —BEEP.” Cat pressed the number one on her dial pad to skip the remainder of the message.

“Kara, you weren’t in first period! Where the hell are you?” Cat paused, forcing herself not to sound as upset as she was feeling. “We still have that presentation later. I know you wouldn’t do anything to hurt your grade.” She rubbed her temples. “Or mine. Call me.” With nothing else to do, Cat trudged on to her next class.

As the day wore on, Cat’s bad mood worsened. She ignored her peers and tapped her pen against the edge of her desk to keep from snapping at her teachers. Cat kept an eye out for Kara in her math class but she was missing from there as well. By the time they were released for lunch, Cat was ready to scream.

With no one else to vent to, Cat sought out the one person who might actually know what was going on. She hurried to the cafeteria, finding Winn sitting alone with a comic book.

Stomping up to him, Cat slammed her hands down on the tabletop, startling him. “Where is she?”

Winn clutched his comic book to his chest. “What are you talking about?”

Cat threw her arms up. “Kara! She isn’t in school. Where is she?”

“How should I know?” he asked, leaning as far back in his seat as he could. “You see her more than I do!” His brow furrowed.

“I’ve been trying to get a hold of her but she isn’t answering my texts or calls,” Cat explained, the anger draining out of her. She took a seat and laid her head down.

“Did something happen?” Winn asked delicately.

“You could say that,” Cat replied wryly. If Kara hadn't filled him in on their late night jaunt then she wasn't about to.

“I’m...sure it will be fine.” The statement was forced and awkward but Cat appreciated it anyways.

“Will you try and call her?” Cat pleaded. “I really need to talk to her.”

Winn nodded. “I’ll try.”

Knowing that her presence caused him nothing but anxiety, Cat stood from the table and wandered over to buy her lunch. She dropped her tray on her usual table, and took a bite of the lukewarm pizza she’d purchased. Lucy and James tried to engage her in a conversation but she shrugged them off in favor of frowning at her chocolate pudding.

It wasn’t until there were only two minutes left in the lunch period that Winn dumped his food and wandered over. “Sorry, I just keep getting a voicemail.” He shrugged. “But I’m sure it's fine. She’s probably just sick.”

“Have you known Kara to ever get sick?” Cat asked, looking up at him pointedly.

Winn shifted uncomfortably. “Well, no. But there’s a first time for everything, right?”

“Right, thanks.” Dejected, Cat gave up on the pretense of eating her food.

Whatever hope Cat had been holding onto that Kara would magically arrive in time for their history class vanished when Cat stepped into the classroom and Mrs. Goodman waved her over.

“Miss Grant, Miss Danvers’ foster mother got in contact with me this morning to inform me that they were experiencing a family emergency. You can turn in your paper today but you won’t be presenting until I know if Miss Danvers will be back.”

“What? She won’t be back?” Cat demanded, pausing in the middle of retrieving their completed paper. That was even worse news than Cat was expecting.

“I really can’t give you any information. Her mother said it was a private matter. Now, if you’ll give me your assignment.” She plucked the paper out of Cat’s grasp and gestured to the rest of the class. “Take your seat please, Miss Grant.”

Cat stepped mechanically to her desk and threw herself into her seat. Class was torture. They filled in the time they should have been presenting with a review day, and Cat could feel the eyes of her classmates on her as the teacher gave them a pop quiz. Her leg bounced in time to the clock, counting down the seconds until class let out.

As soon as the bell rang, Cat was out of her seat, phone to her ear. It rang a few times before sending her to voicemail.

“ _Hi. You’ve reached Kara_ —BEEP.” Cat slammed the skip button.

“Kara,” she breathed, her eyes closed tight. “Please, call me—.”

The call cut off and a robotic voice came over the speakers. “ _This mailbox is full. Please try again later._ ”

“Okay, screw this!” She’d had it.

Cat returned to her locker, slamming the door when she’d gotten her car keys. She threw herself into her car, so angry that she could barely get the seatbelt to click in. She put the car in reverse and eased out of her parking space before putting it in drive and heading for the entrance to the school. Cat didn’t often skip class but there was no way that she was going to sit still for another hour while Kara was probably curled up on the couch at home, ignoring her calls.

On the short drive, Cat decided that she was going to march up to the door and demand that Kara face her. She was going to tell Kara what an idiot she was for thinking that the truth would scare her off. She was going to stay there until Kara realized that.

She parked in the driveway, not bothering to lock her doors as she stomped up to the porch. She knocked a few times, stepping back to cross her arms over her chest. Minutes crept by but no one came to answer the door.

Cat stamped her foot. “Kara! I know you’re in there!” She banged her fist against the door. “Open up!”

There was still no answer.

“Kara! Open up!” Cat continues to knock until her hand cramps. Huffing, Cat shook out her hand. “Fine! Fine! If you won’t open up, then I’m going to sit here all damn day!” Turning around, Cat sat herself down on the top stair of the porch. She would sit there, all night if she had to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading everybody! Hope you all enjoyed it! See you soon.


	20. Chapter 20

Kara exited the airport terminal, heading straight for baggage claim until she spotted her cousin, Clark, standing with a legal pad with her name written in sharpie. Kara smiled wryly, changing course. She would have been able to pick Clark out of the crowd even if he hadn’t had a makeshift sign—except for the glasses, he looked the same as the day she landed on Earth.

“Kara!” He closed the distance between them at a jog. He opened his arms to hug her. Kara opened her arms to respond but her backpack slid off her shoulder and blocked the embrace. “Oops, uh...” He pulled back.

“Sorry, it’s my bag,” Kara mumbled, switching her backpack to her other arm.

“That’s okay. Here.” He settled for giving her a one armed hug. “How was your flight?” he asked, taking her backpack off her hands.

“Uh,” Kara hesitated. Her flight had been long and uncomfortable, stuck in the middle seat between a couple of businessmen, but she couldn’t tell him that; not when Eliza had put her on a plane less than six hours ago and told her that she’d send her the rest of her belongings once she settled everything back home. “It was fine.” She forced a smile.

“That’s good!” Clark nodded towards baggage claim, where the conveyor belt was starting to fill with bags. “Let’s grab your bags, I have a cab waiting.” Clark politely worked his way through the crowd, apologizing as people jostled and shouldered past him.

“Right.” Kara followed him over.

Clark retrieved her suitcase and led her outside. Kara sat in the car while Clark tried to help put her bags in the trunk, even going as far as to drop one on his foot, but soon enough the trunked closed and they were off. One cab ride and six flights of stairs later and Clark was ushering her into his apartment.

“So, I made up the couch for you,” Clark said, gesturing towards the couch. There was a pillow on one end and a sheet tucked into the cushions with a blanket folded under the pillow.

“Thanks.” Kara dropped her bags onto the apartment floor. 

“It’s just temporary.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ve cleaned out the den but I haven’t gotten a chance to get out to Ikea for a bed yet. Maybe we can go on Saturday.”

“That’s fine.” Kara sat down on the couch and removed her glasses, massaging her forehead.

Clark’s phone rang, an uplifting jiggle coming from his pocket. He fumbled a bit as he answered, nearly dropping the phone as he raised it to his ear. “Hello?”

Kara leaned back against the cushions, taking in the apartment that would be her home for the next two years. The space was small, the living room and kitchen adjoined. A hallway led to a bedroom and bathroom that Kara had seen on a previous visit, and a small alcove where her cousin had shoved a desk. The apartment’s best feature was a balcony that was attached to the kitchen.

“Hey, Eliza. Yeah, she got in okay,” Clark said, shooting Kara a reassuring smile. Eliza said something else but Kara wasn’t paying attention. Clark nodded along and dashed to the kitchen. “Hold on, I’m looking for a pen.” He rifled through a drawer. “Go ahead. Yup. Uh-huh. Got it.” He scribbled something down with his back to the rest of the apartment. When he was done, Clark held out the phone for her. “Here, Eliza wants to talk to you.”

Kara took the cellphone. “Hello.”

“Kara, sweetheart,” Eliza greeted her. “How was your flight?”

“It was good,” Kara answered.

“Do you need anything?”

“No, I’m fine.” There was nothing she wanted short of travelling through time back to before she screwed everything up.

Eliza sighed. “Your sister wants you to call her when you get a chance.”

“I’ll call her.”

“Okay, sweetheart. We’ll talk again tomorrow, okay?”

“Thanks. Bye, Eliza.” Kara handed the phone back to Clark. “So, what happens now?”

Clark tossed the phone on the couch. “Well, Eliza gave me a list of schools to call and see if you can start after the winter break.” He pulled a notepad from his back pocket and flipped through several pages.

“Right.” Kara nodded. “School.”

“I know switching schools is probably the last thing you want but it’s important to protect your identity.” Clark crouched down in front of her and put a hand on her knee. “You made the right choice.”

Kara stared resolutely at her shoes. She’d chosen to move in with her cousin when she’d heard Eliza beginning to talk about picking up and moving—the Danvers had sacrificed a lot for her, she wasn’t going to let them lose their family home. “Yeah, I know.”

He squeezed her knee affectionately. “Okay, well, are you hungry? I can order us a pizza and maybe we can watch a movi—” He stopped, inclining his head towards the window.

Kara followed his gaze, lowering the sensitivity of her hearing. In the distance, she heard the sound of shouts and car horns.

“It’s coming from the freeway,” Clark said, standing. Clark changed into his supersuit in a flash, the cape swishing around his legs as he reappeared.

“I guess duty calls.” Kara smiled in spite of herself—the suit was impressive.

“Are you going to be okay by yourself?” He asked. His voice was deeper, more confident while he was Superman.

“Go,” Kara told him. “I’m pretty tired anyways. I think I’m just going to call Alex and then go to sleep. Can I use your phone again?”

“Of course. Code is 5647. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He disappeared out of the window.

“Good luck!” she called after him. Grabbing the phone again, Kara entered the passcode and dialed her sister.

Alex picked immediately. “Kara?”

“Yeah, its me.”

“Did you settle in okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Kara,” Alex said warningly.

Kara sighed. “I’m fine, Alex. I promise.”

“Have you...have you spoken with her?” Kara felt her gut twist painfully. There was no doubt about who Alex was referring to.

“No,” she admitted. “I gave Eliza my phone before I left. She was going to get rid of my number.”

“Is Clark going to get you another phone?”

“We haven’t exactly talked about it. I think he’ll try and get me a bed before he worries about a phone.”

“Well, if he doesn’t, I can try and get you a burner.”

“It doesn’t matter, Alex. I won’t be going anywhere besides this apartment.”

“How can I text you if you don’t have a phone?” Alex protested.

Kara cracked a smile “Fine, you win.”

“Good,” Alex said. “By the way, I’m coming up as soon as winter break starts.”

“What?”

“I’m coming up. I already fixed it with mom. I’ll crash on your cousin’s couch and we’ll spend Christmas together. We’ll bake cookies, get a tree for that shoebox he calls an apartment. What do you say?”

“That sounds good.” Seeing her sister would take the sting out of spending the holidays apart. “What are you doing right now?”

“Studying.”

“Oh, I’ll let you go.” She knew Alex had the end of her term coming up.

“Kara, it's fine.”

“No, no. You have finals. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“You can call me any time, Kara. For anything,” Alex told her. Kara could hear the sincerity in her sister’s voice.

“I will,” she promised.

“I mean it, Kara.” After a moment Alex added, “Love you.”

“I love you, too. Bye.” She ended the call.

With nothing left to distract her, Kara’s thoughts turned to Cat. She kept picturing the look on Cat’s face the last time they saw each other. It was just as painful now as it was then.

Pulling the blanket from under the pillow, Kara shook the blanket out and laid down sideways across the cushions. If there was one good thing being stuck in the phantom zone for twenty-four years, it was the fact that Kara could control her dreams. She closed her eyes, holding on tight to an image of Krypton instead of letting her mind wander to a green-eyed blonde who used to look at her like she was the world.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara settles in with Clark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unedited. Mostly because I just wanted to get this out there.

It was mid-evening, and the only light in the apartment was coming from the glow of the TV. On screen, Meredith Grey was cutting her best friend out of a wedding dress. Kara was lying on the couch with a few throw pillows propping her head up, a box of donuts in front of her on the coffee table.

She grabbed a chocolate covered glazed donut—the crullers she’d purchased were gone after fifteen minutes—taking half the pastry in one bite. It was her last box; two other pink cardboard boxes were empty at her feet. A piece of chocolate fell off her donut and landed on her chest. She didn’t bother with a napkin, swiping at the fallen chocolate with her finger and eating it.

A key in the lock alerted Kara to the fact that her cousin was home. “Hey, Kara,” Clark greeted her, his arms full of reusable grocery bags. “I stopped by the market after work and picked up a few things for dinner.” He closed the door with foot, turning towards her and freezing as he took in the living room. “Have you been on the couch all day?”

“Not all day. I also did—” Kara tried to think of something else she’d done that day and was coming up empty. “Other stuff…”

“Weren’t you watching this show when I left this morning?” He asked, placing the groceries down on the table behind her.

“It’s a long show.” Kara shrugged.

“And last night,” he continued. “And the night before that…”

Kara scowled. “What’s your point, Kal?”

“Just that you started it when you got here and I’m not sure it’s healthy to lie around eating donuts all day.” He frowned at the boxes scattered around her. “Where did you even get all these?”

“There are nine donut shops within a ten block radius and at least half of them deliver. Besides, it’s not like I can get fat on this planet,” she mumbled.

He chuckled. “That’s true. Well, Lois is coming over for dinner. She’s been out of the country on assignment and she’s been dying to see you.”

“Alright, I’ll clean up.” Kara pulled back the blanket, rising from the couch. She’d met Lois on multiple occasions but it would be the first time they saw each other since Lois had figured out her cousin’s identity. Kara gathered all the empty boxes in her arms and took them to the kitchen trash. “I’m gonna go take a shower.”

“I’ll get started on dinner,” Clark announced, pulling an honest-to-Rao apron out of a kitchen drawer.

Kara headed for the den to pick out a new pair of clothes and stopped by the linen closet to grab a towel. Tossing her things on the sink basin, Kara closed the bathroom door. Clark’s bathroom was fairly cramped, only room for a single shower stall, and the walls were thin enough that Kara could hear Clark moving around the kitchen without her advanced hearing.

She was halfway through shampooing when Lois finally arrived. She heard the door open and close and then low murmuring. Kara tried to tune them out but she caught the sound of her name as Lois moved about the apartment. Slightly curious, Kara lowered the guard on her senses.

“So, how’s Kara?” Lois asked. “Is she sitting around and eating all day?”

There was a beat of silence before Clark answered. “How did you know?”

“Her first relationship ended, she was pulled out of school, and moved to a new time zone. I’d be surprised if she wasn’t wallowing.”

“Wallowing?” Clark repeated.

Lois laughed. “I love you, but you’re totally clueless.” Kara laughed at that.

“Gee, thanks,” Clark chuckled.

“It’s what teenagers—and some adults—do when their relationships end. They eat a ton of junk food, binge watch Ally McBeal, lay around in their sweats.”

Clark made a piteous noise. “So, what do I do?”

“Give her some space. Let her mourn. It’s normal. It will probably help when she goes back to school. Didn’t you say her sister was coming?”

“On Sunday,” he answered.

“There you go. She’ll get Kara out of the apartment.”

“I don’t remember life being this difficult in high school,” Clark grumbled.

“Cheer up, Kent. You’ll get the hang of it and I’m here if either of you need anything.”

“Thank you.” Kara could practically hear the smile in his voice.

Figuring she’d eavesdropped enough, Kara finished washing her hair and shut off the water. Kara had known that she’d been moping but she hadn’t realized that she sounded quite so pathetic. She stepped carefully out of the shower, toweling herself dry and dressing quickly. She tried to summon up some residual cheer so that she could prove to over dinner that she could get over this but her reflection in the mirror could only grimace. Sighing. Kara pulled a brush through her hair, choosing to leave it down as she returned to the living room.

Lois was seated on the couch, sipping on a glass of wine when she made it back to the living room. “Kara! There you are!” She left her glass on the coffee table and hopped up to greet her.

Kara allowed Lois to pull her into a hug. “Hey, Lois. It’s good to see you.”

“It is,” Lois said, pulling back. “I’m sorry it wasn’t under better circumstances.”

Kara ducked her head. “Thanks.”

“I think Clark said that dinner was just about ready. Come on.” Lois put an arm around her shoulders. The affection was nice, something that Clark didn’t give as freely as Alex, Eliza, or Ca—either way, it was nice. Kara gave her a small smile and let her steer them towards the table.

~~~

Dinner was a surprisingly good time. Lois regaled them with tales of her assignment before filling Kara in on the less dignified stories of her cousin’s life that she hardly ever got to hear. It drew genuine laughter from her to hear about and see her cousin’s face turn bright red. Eventually, Clark was called away for some emergency, leaving Lois and Kara alone.

Lois rose from the table with her plate in hand. “Are you finished with that?” she asked, pointing to Kara’s plate.

“Yeah.” Lois reached for it but Kara grabbed it first. “I got it, you don’t have to—”

Lois waved her off. “It’s just a couple of dishes, go and relax.”

“Okay.” Kara moved from the table back to the couch, but she didn’t reach for the remote.

With Clark gone and Lois occupied, Kara’s mind kept drifting back to Cat. She didn’t know why; she’d previously done a good job of pushing her girlfriend from her mind.

Lois chose that time to sit next to her on the couch. Lois kicked off her shoes and tucked her legs beneath her on the cushion. The pose struck Kara as familiar and she found herself remembering that Lois and Lucy were sisters.

“Have you talked to Lucy?” Kara blurted out.  
Lois turned her head lazily. “Not lately. I didn’t know you knew each other.”

“We share a few classes.” She shrugged. “We were friends…I think.” She tore her eyes away from Lois as her eyes filled with moisture. Her heart ached at the thought that she’d lost more than just her girlfriend.

Lois brushes a strand of hair out of Kara’s face. “I’m sure she misses you.”

That was the last straw. A sob worked its way out of Kara’s mouth and the tears spilled over. Kara felt Lois shift and wrap her arms around her and she leaned into the hug. Lois didn’t speak, she just held Kara as she cried herself out—something she hadn’t allowed herself to do.

Eventually, Kara cried herself out and she pulled back, removing her glasses and wiping at her cheeks. “Sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize for feeling, Kara. However you’re feeling is valid,” Lois offered, rubbing soothing circles against her back.

“I know. I just—” Kara hiccupped. “I just miss everybody so much; Eliza, Alex, my friends…and Cat.”

Lois smiled wryly. “You don’t mean Cat Grant, do you?”

Kara nodded. “Yeah, why?”

“I’ve met her before at one of Lucy’s birthdays,” Lois said, her smile widening. “She said I was a hack writer.”

Kara couldn’t resist barking out a laugh. “That sounds like her.”

“We ended up having a rather long conversation about the role of women in media and by the end she begrudgingly agreed that I had some talent,” Lois recounted, chuckling. “I really liked her.”

“Me too,” Kara murmured.

Lois nodded towards the TV. “Now, I know there has to be something you’ve been watching lately.”

“We don’t have to—”

“Kara,” Lois said warningly.

“Well, okay.” She grabbed the remote and resumed her marathon.

They had gone through three episodes when Clark flew in the window, carrying another pastry box. “I brought dessert.” Clark handed over the box.

Kara opened the box and selected a cruller. “Thanks.”

“Jelly filled, yum,” Lois said, grabbing one.

Clark grabbed an apple turnover for himself and sat in the middle of the couch. “So, what did I miss?” he asked, putting an arm around Lois.

Kara was quiet was Lois gave her cousin a quick rundown, unable to quash the small ember of jealousy that was igniting within her. But try as she might, Kara couldn’t help thinking about how unfair it seemed that Kal-El could have someone in his life that knew every part of him and that she was forced to hide. Kara crossed her arms over her chest to stop the ache that was starting and turned her attention back to the TV.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so there are a lot of reasons this took forever. The biggest reason being I had some news at the end of February that kind of threw my whole world off balance and I'm just getting back. But I will finish this story. Hopefully before the baby gets here. Bye


	22. Chapter 22

“Merry Christmas!”

“Happy holidays!”

Cat scowled, ducking around the throngs of students who were exchanging holiday greetings or presents in the hallway. It was lunch time on the last day before winter break and the student body was concerned with only what fun the vacation would bring not the fact that most of them—Cat included—had several finals to contend with.

Lucy bounded over to her, a Santa hat atop her head. “Hey, Cat. Happy last day of school.”

“What’s so great about it? I still have two finals to get through after lunch.” She picked grumpily at her sandwich.

“Someone’s not in the holiday spirit,” Lucy teased.

“Bah, humbug,” Cat replied dryly.

“I know things have been difficult since Kara left, but aren’t you a little excited for the break?”

“Oh, yeah. I can’t wait to spend two weeks hiding in my room from my mother.” Cat rolled her eyes.

“And you still haven’t heard anything from Kara?”

“Not a peep.”

It wasn’t for lack of trying. She’d texted and called Kara’s phone until her fingers cramped. After school, she’d taken to driving by the Danvers’ house, searching for any sign that Kara was back. Every time, Cat would sit in her car until Eliza Danvers returned—an activity that kept Cat out longer and longer as Kara’s foster mother began working later hours without any teenagers or husband to return home to—before giving up for the night and returning home.

On the first day Cat had driven by, she’d begged Eliza to give up Kara’s whereabouts, promising never to reveal anything she may have seen but Eliza had completely shut her down. THe older woman had no qualms about asserting that what Cat saw was a trick of the light, something she’d made up in the heat of the moment.

She’d never thought that a middle-aged scientist could be frightening but when Eliza’s threat of filing a restraining order did nothing for Cat, Eliza threatened to call her mother. Since then, Cat hadn’t approached the house, purposefully parking down the street until Eliza returned.

“I take it you haven’t dug anything else up?” Lucy asked.

“I have to check with Winn. He said he may remember her cousin’s name.”

“Well, I’ll be back,” Lucy said, eyeing the lunch line. “I’m going to get a burrito.”

Cat scoffed. “Good luck.” Those burritos were dangerous.

A few minutes later, Winn approached her. “Hey, Cat!”

“Winn, did you find anything?” In the days since Kara had left, Cat had been talking to Winn more and more. Kara’s best friend was just as horrified as she was to find out that Kara had simply up and left and he’d pledged his help to track her down.

“I went over to Kara’s house yesterday,” he started, digging around in his backpack for his binder.

“You did what?” Cat exclaimed, her eyes widening. “Was Eliza there?”

Winn nodded. “I told her that Kara had one of my books and she let me go up to her room and look.”

“And?” Cat pressed.

“Well, her room was pretty much packed up.” Winn frowned and Cat felt her hopes deflating. “I opened the box and grabbed any old book that I could find—I wound up with a copy of the Wizard of Oz—but I was able to swipe this.” He handed over a newspaper clipping. “I remember seeing it before. I think her cousin wrote it.”

Cat took the article. It was a piece about Superman saving a bus full of children from a few years ago; one of the first after the caped hero had emerged. The article itself didn’t interest Cat as much as the byline which named the author as Clark Kent. “This has to be it!”

“I told you her cousin’s name started with a ‘C’,” Winn continued.

“Clark Kent,” Cat read aloud. They may have just discovered Superman’s identity—not that Winn knew that.

Lucy sat down with her tray. “Wait. Why are we talking about my sister’s boyfriend?”

Cat’s head whipped around so hard she got a kink in her neck. “Your sister’s what?”

“Clark Kent.” Lucy shrugged, her focus on opening a bag of sour cream and onion chips. “My sister’s been dating that guy for like three years. They met at work.”

Cat gaped. “Your sister is dating Su—er—Kara’s cousin?”

“Maybe it’s a different Clark?” Winn asked.

Cat rounded on him. “A different Clark that also works at the Daily Planet?”

“It’s a big company!” Winn interjected. He looked at Lucy. “Your sister works at the Daily Planet?” She nodded.

Cat shook her head. “This has to be him.”

“Do you want me to call my sister?” Lucy offered. “I mean, we hardly talk but I can ask her if he’s really Kara’s cousin.”

“No.” Cat shook her head. If they caught wind that Cat was closing in on Kara’s whereabouts, they might move her. “I just need to see what I can dig up.”  
It would be torture to wait until her classes finished for the day, but she couldn’t afford to skip any more school.

When the bell finally rang to signal the end of the day, Cat drove home quickly, heading straight for the laptop in her bedroom to begin her research. Without a second person to narrow down the search though, Cat was stuck with two-hundred and ninety thousand results to sift through.

“Better get started,” Cat muttered to herself, clicking on the first result.

Hours later, Cat was ready to snap her laptop in half. If she thought Kara was lacking in internet presence it was nothing compared to her cousin. Clark Kent had no Facebook, no twitter, not even a lousy staff picture on the daily planet’s website. All she’d found were copies of his articles from the daily planet’s archives.

“This is ridiculous!” she shouted to her empty bedroom. No matter how hard she tried, she kept coming up empty.

Cat is watching Netflix in bed when her phone pings with a text from Lucy. _Look what I found in my dad’s office (1/2)_

Cat frowned at her phone. There was only one thing she wanted and she doubted it would be found in Colonel Lane’s office. A moment passed and there was still no second message. Making a disgruntled noise in the back of her throat, Cat turned her Wi-Fi off and on again.

The download bar at the top of her screen turned green and disappeared as the second half of Lucy’s message appeared. It turned out to be a photo and Cat tapped the image to enlarge the image. It was a picture of an envelope, the words _Happy Birthday_ scrawled at the top.  In the center, it’s addressed to Lucy’s dad, Colonel Lane and in the corner, a return address for one Clark Kent in downtown Metropolis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't really proofread this one so sorry about any mistakes.


End file.
